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.

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.

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

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. 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. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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. 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. 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

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. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H. Con. Res. 236, which is at the desk.

I ask unanimous consent that the resolution and the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements regarding the matter be printed in the Record.