Congressional Record, Volume 149 Issue 104 (Tuesday, July 15, 2003)

[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 104 (Tuesday, July 15, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H6711-H6713]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

PERMITTING USE OF THE ROTUNDA TO COMMEMORATE THE UNVEILING OF THE
STATUE OF SAKAKAWEA PROVIDED BY THE STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA FOR DISPLAY
IN STATUARY HALL

Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 236) permitting the use of the
rotunda of the Capitol for a ceremony to commemorate the unveiling of
the statue of Sakakawea provided by the State of North Dakota for
display in Statuary Hall.
The Clerk read as follows:

H. Con. Res. 236

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That the rotunda of the Capitol is authorized to
be used on October 16, 2003, for a ceremony to commemorate
the unveiling of the statue of Sakakawea provided by the
State of North Dakota for display in Statuary Hall. Physical
preparations for the ceremony shall be carried out in
accordance with such conditions as the Architect of the
Capitol may prescribe.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Ohio (Mr. Ney) and the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney).
Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 236.
This legislation permits the use of the rotunda of the Capitol on
October 16, 2003, for a ceremony to commemorate the unveiling of the
statue of Sakakawea provided by the State of North Dakota.
In 1864, Congress enacted and created National Statuary Hall
providing for the contribution of statues by the States. Each State is
allowed to donate two statues to the Capitol of their most prominent
citizens. North Dakota is one of three States which has not donated a
second statue. Out of the 97 statues throughout the Capitol, there are
only five women and three native Americans. North Dakota's current
statue is John Burke, former Governor, U.S. Treasurer, and State
Supreme Court Justice, which was donated in 1963.
The story of how the original statue of Sakakawea in North Dakota was

[[Page H6712]]

created dates back to the centennial commemoration of the Lewis and
Clark expedition at the turn of the 20th century. In 1904, St. Louis
hosted a Louisiana Purchase Exposition; and in 1905, Portland hosted
the Lewis and Clark Centennial and the America Pacific Exposition and
Fair. The State of North Dakota spent funds for pavilions and exhibits
at these events. Given the prominence of Sakakawea statues at these
events, the idea of a similar statue to stand in North Dakota was
therefore born.
Mattie Davis, the superintendent of schools in Cass County, suggested
an appropriate recognition needed to be given to the only woman to
accompany the expedition of Lewis and Clark. The idea was endorsed by
the Fargo City Federation of Women's Clubs which presented it to the
North Dakota Federation. A resolution was passed calling for the
placement of a statue on the State Capitol grounds in Bismarck.
Sakakawea, simply put, was a leader of leaders. She was a key part of
the boldest and most dangerous expedition in American history. She
served as an interpreter, guide, and provider to Lewis and Clark; but
her most important role was that of a peacemaker. As a woman and a
mother, her presence made it clear that Lewis and Clark were not
leading a war party. As Clark wrote in his journal: ``Our interpreter
we find reconciles all the Indians as to our friendly intentions. A
woman with a party of men is a token of peace.'' She was courageous and
indomitable, but it was her gentle spirit and interpretive skills that
appeased potential enemies.
Before reserving my time, Mr. Speaker, I just want to point out and
give a lot of credit to Mattie Davis, the superintendent of schools of
Cass County, who suggested this idea by the Fargo City Federation of
Women's Clubs which presented it to the North Dakota Federation. It is
local people getting together to promote ideas such as this to preserve
our history that need to have encouragement from us and tribute for all
of their offerings on this particular statue.
I want to thank the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson), our
ranking member, and the members of the Committee on House
Administration, and also the gentleman from North Dakota (Mr. Pomeroy)
for their work on this legislation. I urge full support of House
Concurrent Resolution 236.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume to associate myself with the remarks of the distinguished
chairman, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney).
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as he may consume to the
distinguished gentleman from North Dakota (Mr. Pomeroy), the sponsor of
the concurrent resolution, who has worked so hard over the years to
make this placement of the statue a reality.
Mr. POMEROY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this
time. I thank the ranking member and chairman for their support of this
issue, a resolution important to the State of North Dakota.
Since 1964, Congress has entertained the statues advanced by the
States and allowing their positioning throughout the Capitol. Without
question, they enhance the atmosphere here and remind us of truly the
history that has gone on before us, both in this Capitol and throughout
the country, as leaders of each of the 50 States have made their
indelible imprint on our collective history as a Nation. Yet we found
in North Dakota that we only had a single statue. Unlike the two per
State, we were one of four States that had a single statutory
representative, former Governor and Treasurer John Burke.
It occurred to me that we could not do better to have as the second
representative of North Dakota Sakakawea, and not just any statue of
Sakakawea, but an identical replica to the statue Sakakawea that has
graced our Capitol grounds for nearly a century. The statue, initially
sculptured by Leonard Crunell from France, is a statue whose model was
Sakakawea's granddaughter, Hannah Leavings Grant, also known as Mink
Woman. Extraordinarily enough, at a recent July 4 celebration on the
grounds of the State Capitol as we viewed the statue that will come
under this resolution to represent North Dakota in this great place,
there were relatives of Mink Woman present.
So this is an act that has such immediate relevance to especially the
Native Americans and the three affiliated tribes, but also to all of us
in the State of North Dakota. Sakakawea, I believe, was an actual
person, but one of almost legendary and mythical dimensions. She was
integrally linked to the success of the Lewis and Clark expedition, an
expedition whose bicentennial we are recognizing in these days.
Hers is an extraordinary story. She was the young wife of a fur
trader that signed on to be the expedition's guide, but Lewis and Clark
found the real value of this was the role Sakakawea went on to play in
the expedition. She served as translator. She served as guide. She
served as a representative of the peaceful nature of the expedition as
they encountered Native American tribes through the balance of the
journey. She even rescued the journals of Clark. When the canoe swamped
and the men bolted for safety, it was Sakakawea who saved the journals
from ruin and contributed, therefore, to history. To think about a
young woman making this contribution to an expedition entirely composed
of men is remarkable enough, but the fact that she carried with her her
11-month-old infant, John Baptiste, is even more remarkable.
My colleagues will like this statue. It is a dignified and beautiful
rendition of Sakakawea.
We like to think that the statue speaks even beyond the contribution
of this remarkable woman, to the experience of the expedition with
Native Americans in North Dakota as a history of cooperation. It was a
history of teaching. In fact, many suggest that Lewis and Clark would
not have had the successful expedition they had but for the learning of
ways of hunting, navigation, and winter survival that they acquired in
the winter of 1804 in North Dakota, living with the Mandan Indians. It
means a great deal to us to have this statue, the first Native American
woman to represent a State in this Capitol; and I urge my colleagues'
favorable consideration of this resolution.
The resolution also sets the date of October 16 as the day we will
recognize and unveil the statue in the rotunda. It is a date I would
urge my colleagues to put on their calendars to hear a more full
exposition of this through the Native Americans from North Dakota who
will be present at that time.
I thank the ranking member, I thank the chairman, and I thank my
colleagues for their consideration.
Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to
thank the gentleman from North Dakota (Mr. Pomeroy) for all of his
diligence on pushing, I think, a very, very important statue and an
important commemoration for our history. I thank him for his work.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
I again would like to congratulate the distinguished gentleman from
North Dakota for his very vivid and historical explanation of what, for
sure, is going to be yet another treasure we will be able to add to
Statuary Hall. President Kennedy was fond of saying that a people
reveal an awful lot about themselves in the monuments and the memorials
that they create. The residents and citizens of North Dakota can stand
justifiably proud today by the enactment of this piece of legislation;
and, clearly, all Americans will be enriched as they get to pass
through Statuary Hall and look at this outstanding monument to this
truly great American.
Mr. Speaker, I support House Concurrent Resolution 236, which would
authorize the use of the Capitol rotunda on October 16, 2003, for a
ceremony to unveil the statue of Sakakawea, the Shoshone Indian guide,
translator and diplomat who helped to guide the Lewis and Clark
expedition of exploration, for display as part of the National Statuary
Hall Collection.
This will be North Dakota's second statue for the Statuary Hall
Collection, completing its allotment of two which are permitted for
each state and bringing the total of the collection to 98. The statute
is a replica of the bronze statue by Chicago artist Leonard Crunelle
which has stood on the grounds of the state capitol in Bismarck, North
Dakota, since 1910. The

[[Page H6713]]

Joint Committee of Congress on the Library approved the inclusion in
the statue of Sakakawea's infant son, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, on her
back, though he will not be mentioned on the descriptive plaque.
Normally, a statue accepted for the Collection can depict only one
individual.
Sakakawea was captured by Hidatsa Indians in 1800, when she was about
12 years old, and was given the name by which she is known
historically, which translates as ``Bird Woman'' in Hidatsa. There have
been several different versions of the spelling. The original statue
depicts Sakakawea looking westward toward the lands being explored.
There was no image of Sakakawea available for the original statue, so a
Hidatsa Indian, Mink Woman, served as the model.
It is appropriate that the statue be placed in the Capitol at the
time of the bicentennial of the beginning of the Lewis and Clark
expeditions, for which Sakakawea served as a guide from 1804 to 1806,
traveling to the Pacific Ocean and then back through North Dakota.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney) that the House suspend the rules and
agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 236.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was
agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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