Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Death Valley Days: The Girl Who Walked the West

The Corps of Discovery is entering Shoshone territory and Sacajawea (Victoria Vetri) offers Lewis (Dick Simmons) and Clark (Don Matheson) some pointers on how to interact with her people.  She offers a history of how she came to be Charbonneau's squaw.  She was kidnapped 5 years earlier and sold from one tribe to another until she came to be bought by Charbonneau in the Mandan territory.  Though Lewis and Clark hired Charbonneau as a guide, it is really Sacajawea who knows the way west and they will miss her guidance if she rejoins her tribe.  Charbonneau (Victor French) is a nasty and thoroughly dislikable man.  At one point, he strikes Sacajawea and Clark intervenes, threatening dire consequences to Charbonneau if he hits her again.  The eventual meeting with the Shoshone goes poorly until Sacajawea reveals herself and proves to be the chief's sister.  Furnished with horses by the chief, the Corps of Discovery continues west toward the Pacific and Sacajawea goes with them.

Another true tale of the West, but, again, there are casting issues.  Don Matheson was a only a few years older than the actual William Clark, but Dick Simmons (54) was old enough to be Lewis's (31) father.  Charbonneau (38) was older than either Lewis or Clark but is played by someone younger (33) than either of the actors playing them.  Still, French did a credible job.  Also of note, though the Corps is depicted much smaller than it was, York - who was William Clark's slave - is shown among them.

The epilogue - offered by host Robert Taylor - stated that Sacajawea lived into her 90s.  The more probable case is that she died of a fever in 1812.  In 1809, William Clark was entrusted with raising and educating Jean-Baptiste Charbonneau (the baby that Sacajawea is usually depicted carrying).  In 1813, he took in Lizette Charbonneau.  In 1825, when listing the fates of the Corps of Discovery members, he listed Sacajawea as dead.

Entertaining and informative.

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