Prologue, Chapter 1 - The Camp by the River through Chapter 5 - Stories Up The River Summary

In the Prologue, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau (1805-1866), son of Sacajawea (c. 1788-1812), introduces himself during a trader's rendezvous at the Green River in 1833. He states that he will tell the story of his mother and his adopted uncle, Captain William Clark (1770-1838). Jean Baptiste notes that in the custom of his mother's people, one can only tell a story of the events that the teller actually witnessed. As Jean Baptiste was an infant during the events narrated in the book, he will present segments of the story as told to him by his mother or adopted uncle.

In Chapter 1 - The Camp by the River, Sacajawea speaks from the city of St. Louis in the...