March 20, 2023
Earling(Perma Red) reimagines the story of Sacajewea in this powerful outing. Sacajewea is raised among the Lemhi Shoshone by loving parents around the turn of the 19th century, and she learns about the natural world from her elders. She looks forward to marriage with the warrior Blue Elk until raiders descend on her village, identified by Sacajewea only as “Enemies.” They murder her parents and kidnap her, and she is forced to marry Charbonneau, a French Canadian trapper. Though she’s repeatedly raped by her husband, Sacajewea writes of the solace and hope she finds with other Native women. Still, her nightmare continues with the arrival of Lewis and Clark. As Charbonneau’s property, Sacajewea must travel with the explorers, carrying her unwanted newborn son. Along the way, Lewis and Clark trample burial grounds, senselessly kill animals, and steal from people, prompting Sacajewea to reflect, “I tire of... white men’s stingy-gut ways to own all things and keep all things to their selves.” Earling adds a much-needed Native woman’s perspective to Sacajewea’s story, bringing a note of resilience to her unflinching account of the white men’s violence and depredation: “Women do not become their Enemy captors. We survive them.” This is a beautiful reclamation.