The book ‘It’s her story Sacajawea’ by Randy’L Teton honors the real journey of Sacajawea and her contributions to American and Idaho history.
FORT HALL, Idaho — November is Native American Heritage Month. It honors the rich cultures, histories, and contributions of Indigenous peoples across the nation, including in Idaho.
Randy’L Teton, a member of the Shoshone Bannock Tribes of Fort Hall, Idaho posed as the model for the US Sacajawea dollar coin first issued in 2000. She continues to tell her story to people of all ages, including children.
Her new book ‘It’s Her Story Sacajawea’ teaches children the correct story of the 10-year-old girl from Salmon, Idaho, who was taken from her tribe in the 1790s.
“A lot of books do not capture the reality of her age,” Teton said. “She was taken by the Mandan Hidatsa tribe.”
The book takes you through her journey after she joined the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Randy’L described past stories like this, “Imagine being on a two-year camping trip. Of course, the kids love it,” she said.
The book dives into the reality of her experiences.
“It was two years with a baby. She was 14, she had a baby. She was in a forced marriage to a French-Canadian fur trapper, and without her, the Lewis and Clark expedition would not have survived,” Teton said.
She described her pivotal role in helping Lewis and Clark across the country.
“The survival skills that she had, the swimming skills that she was able to capture the Lewis and Clark journals,” Teton said.
It was the hard work and contributions to American history that landed Sacajawea on a US gold dollar coin.
“Her story alone during this two-year expedition is amazing,” Teton said.
Randy’L Teton posed as the model for the coin in 2000.
“I was asked to become a model for Sacagawea, and honestly never knew that I would be sitting here, you know, my face, my likeness on a coin,” Teton said.
She hopes this book will help future generations learn about Sacajawea and Idaho’s history.
“We need to really celebrate the people that are from Idaho, that have really contributed to United States history, and I’m just her voice,” Teton said.
According to the United States Mint, Teton is the youngest and only living model on US currency. Her book is available on her website.
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