2021 Montana Legislature
_____________ joint resolution NO. _____________
INTRODUCED
BY _________________________________________________
By Request of the ****
A joint resolution of the Senate and the House of Representatives of the state of montana urging the national park service to include sacagawea on designation signs for the lewis and clark trail.
WHEREAS, Sacagawea, who spoke both Shoshone and Hidatsa, traveled for over 16 months with the Lewis and Clark Expedition, delivering a child en route, and acting as an interpreter in crucial negotiations between members of the Expedition and Indian tribes; and
WHEREAS, Sacagawea's translations were significant to the success of the Expedition; and
WHEREAS, Sacagawea shared her knowledge of native foods to help vary the diet of Expedition members and saved provisions from being lost when a boat overturned and others panicked; and
WHEREAS, Sacagawea helped orient the Expedition as it neared the headwaters of the Missouri River; and
WHEREAS, Meriwether Lewis described Sacagawea as a woman of equal parts fortitude and resolution, naming a river south of the confluence of the Musselshell and Missouri Rivers after her.
Now, therefore, be it resolved by the Senate and the House of Representatives OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
That the 67th Legislature recognizes the strength, fortitude, and perseverance of Sacagawea and urges the National Park Service to honor her by including her likeness on the Lewis and Clark Trail designation signs.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Secretary of State send a copy of this resolution to the United States Secretary of the Interior, the Director of the National Park Service, and each of the federally recognized tribal governments in Montana.