Randy’L Teton to visit Soda Springs Library October 7
Photo by Shuttergirl Photography, Micha Wixom
Randy’L Teton is someone you’ve seen before, even if you didn’t know it. Teton is undoubtedly most famous as the model used by the U.S. Mint as the basis for the Sacajawea Gold Dollar, which was first issued in the year 2000 to commemorate the Corps of Discovery led by Lewis and Clark, and guided by Shoshone girl Sacajawea. The coin also celebrates the importance of Native American history as a component of the history of the country as whole. She is the youngest and only living coin model on official U.S. currency.
Teton was studying Art History and Native American Studies at the University of New Mexico in Santa Fe when she was approached by sculptor Glenna Goodacre to serve as a model for the coin design, as no portrait from the time exists. Goodacre selected Teton, whose mother was an employee at the Institute of American Indian Arts Museum.
During the rollout of the coin at the turn of the millennium, Teton toured the country promoting it and the cause of Native American education. She remarked that “the image doesn’t represent me, it represents all Native American women. All women have the dignity of the Golden Dollar’s image.”
Teton is enrolled with Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of Fort Hall, and has recently written a children’s graphic novel titled “It’s Her Story: Sacajawea,” which recounts the young guide’s journey from a tribal perspective. The book is illustrated by Aly McKnight, also enrolled in the Shoshone-Bannock Tribe. The book is part of the “It’s Her Story” series, which presents the biographies of many women who have left an indelible mark on history. Teton has stated that this is a project she has long been interested in, and hopes to one day get the book into all the classrooms in Idaho. One of the major reasons she believes the book is necessary is that while the overall story of Lewis and Clark’s journey is fairly well-known on some level by students in American schools, Sacajawea’s own story, and the story of the Shoshone tribes, is only vaguely sketched out for most.
She will be sharing some of the stories she has gathered from elders and other sources, including her time at the Fort Hall Tribal Museum over the years.
The book was officially released on September 21, and is widely available on retail sites such as Amazon, and will of course be on hand at the library. The book can be ordered on randylteton.com as well, which directly supports the author.
Teton will be speaking at the library from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Monday, October 7, and then answering questions from the audience afterward. Teton will be signing books and posters, and refreshments will be provided by Caribou Medical Center.
“This is going to be a really great event,” Library Director Hope Hansen said at the most recent City Council meeting. “We’re really lucky to have this in town, and I can’t wait!”
