Sakakawea Lived Here 

Long long ago when Karen was in early elementary school, her Dad would read aloud to hear at bedtime. Sometimes they were historical novels aimed at young readers. One of the books was about Sacajawea, Bird Woman. Today we visited the Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Park where she lived as a young woman married to Toussaint Charbonneau before Lewis & Clark hired him (them) as guide and interpreters. The contour of the land at the actual site of the village  still shows depressions at the sites where the earth lodges once stood. The park service has built a replica of a Hidatsa earth lodge. It’s easy to envision an extended family living in this comfortable space. We particularly enjoyed discussions with the rangers Jeff and Dave giving us a broad overview of the trading patterns among the Native American nations including how the Knife River got its name and specifics about Hidatsa and Mandan society and about Sakakawea and Charbonneau.