Marie Dorion was the Ioway Indians’ version of Sacajawea. Being the only woman on the expedition from St. Louis to the Oregon Territory, Dorion gained recognition for her courage and endurance during the trip. Her purpose on the trip was to assist a group of American explorers in their exploration. During the expedition, the group experienced much adversity such as starvation, weather and ambush. Dorion brought her family along for the 11-month expedition, including two children, making the hardships for her even more brutal.
In Eastern Oregon, the group was ambushed, losing several members of the party. The ambush, along with starvation and errors in judgment, killed a quarter of the exploration team before reaching their planned destination. However, Dorion and her two children were able to complete the entire journey unscathed. After making it to Astoria, Oregon, she joined another group headed out on a beaver trapping expedition. Coincidentally, again her expedition was attacked, this time killing the entire group except for herself and her two children.
Once the journey ended, Dorion settled with her family in Willamette Valley, Oregon. She remained here until she passed away in 1850. After her death Marie Dorion’s neighbors spoke of her as a very admirable woman.
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Its nice to hear another "Sacajawea" story. Are there any estimates as to how many Ioway members acted as guides, and how many of those that did stayed where they were leading a group to?
ReplyDeleteThat's a great question! Unfortunately, we don't have the answer. If you're interested in learning more about the Ioway People, we recommend visiting the State Historical Society. Thanks for reading!
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