She is one of the most famous women in American history, yet everything from the spelling of her name to the date of her death remains a mystery. On this episode of pplpod, we retrace the steps of Sacagawea, the Shoshone teenager who walked thousands of miles with the Lewis and Clark Expedition with her infant son strapped to her back.

Join us as we separate the Hollywood myths from the gritty reality of the Corps of Discovery. We explore how Sacagawea was not just a guide, but a diplomat whose presence signaled peace to indigenous tribes and a quick-thinker who saved the captains’ journals from a capsized boat.

We also dive deep into the controversies that still puzzle historians today:

• Bird Woman or Boat Launcher? We break down the linguistic debate over whether her name is Hidatsa (Sakakawea ...