Sacagawea honored at statue in Charlottesville

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- After years of debate, a change has been made at a famous Charlottesville statue to honor the contributions a Native American woman made to the Lewis and Clark expedition.

Residents and Native American guests erected a marker on Friday at the West Main Street tableau, which features Lewis and Clark along with Sacagawea, the Shoshone woman who served as a guide and interpreter.

The Lewis & Clark expedition, launched in 1804, has many ties to the area. Lewis was an Albemarle County native, and the explorers were dispatched on their transcontinental journey by third President Thomas Jefferson.

Over many years, residents have decried the Shoshone woman's portrayal on the 1919 statue as demeaning because she is kneeling next to the famed explorers, who stand upright.

Sacagawea, the only woman on the expedition, also served as an interpreter on the journey. She was about 16 and pregnant when she and her French-Canadian husband joined the mission.

Though the marker is only one item, Mayor Dave Norris said, "It hopefully represents a major shift in how we talk about our past . . . and the role of women in society."

"This is about reciprocity, finally recognizing the debt Charlottesville owes to women and American Indians," said Guy Lopez, a Sioux Indian who has criticized the downtown statue.

Ros Ann Abrahamson, a descendant of Sacagawea, says the marker honoring her ancestor's contributions to the expedition is a fitting tribute. -- Media General News Service