Sacagawea (1788-1812) was a Lemhi Shoshone Native American who assisted the Lewis and Clark expedition in exploring the Louisiana Territory. Sacagawea joined the expedition from North Dakota to the Pacific Ocean, helping guide them through the terrain, establishing cultural contacts with the various Native American groups in the region, and notably rescuing the expedition's records from a capsized boat on the Sacagawea River. The National American Women's Suffrage Association helped establish Sacagawea in the public consciousness in the early twentieth century, adopting her as a symbol of women's independence.