5. Native American art isn’t just found in the Smithsonian.
Paintings, pottery and jewelry can be found on display in many museums but also for sale in local markets thanks to artisans who have learned their craft from the elders who came before them.
6. Sacagewea was 17 when she guided Lewis and Clark and died at 25.
It was this powerful woman’s knowledge of the land and the language that made Lewis and Clark’s journey successful. PBS says, “Sacagawea turned out to be incredibly valuable to the Corps as it traveled westward, through the territories of many new tribes. Some of these Indians, prepared to defend their lands, had never seen white men before. As Clark noted on October 19, 1805, the Indians were inclined to believe that the whites were friendly when they saw Sacagawea. A war party never traveled with a woman—especially a woman with a baby. During council meetings between Indian chiefs and the Corps where Shoshone was spoke, Sacagawea was used and valued as an interpreter.”
