One of the most mysterious personalities from the Lewis and Clark expedition, Sacagawea, will be unveiled by scholar Amy Mossett when she takes center stage at Sand Harbor Saturday, June 28.

Mossett said she has been studying the life of the legendary Native American for 15 years.

"My interpretation is different from most Chautauqua performances," she said.

There is so little written about the woman who accompanied the two famous explorers that Mossett thought she would be doing audiences a disservice by impersonating Sacagawea.

Instead, she talks about the woman from the perspective of the Hidatsa culture. Part of Mossett's attraction to Sacagawea's story stems from her own tribal roots.

Mossett lives in North Dakota, and in her research, discovered that her ancestors belonged to the same tribal village that raised Sacagawea -- a Shoshone who was captured by an enemy tribe when she was about 12.

Mosset is part Hidatsa and part Mandan. Sacagawea lived with a Hidatsa village and left to live at Fort Mandan.

This was where she met Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. She stayed with the expedition from November 1804 until August 1806. Both she and her husband Charbinal aided the expedition by interpreting.

Sacagawea's knowledge of the Shoshone language would help the Americans obtain horses, according to Mossett.

"She was not a slave, and was not sold," Mossett said, dispelling two common misconceptions about the famous woman.

"Her name means Bird Woman," she added.

Two hundred years ago, American women and others were not afforded the kinds of freedom common to female Hidatsa women, she said.

Hidatsa women could own property, for instance. Mandan women were partners with their husbands in every aspect of earning a living in the tribe's successful trade network, Mossett said.

"Their settlements exceeded the population of cities such as St. Louis and Washington City," she said.

Mossett said she believes it's important for present-day Native Americans to be involved in the Lewis and Clark story during this anniversary year.

This is a wonderful opportunity for tribes to educate people about their heritage, she said.

The opportunity to tell people about Sacagawea and her own cultures fits well into Mossett's career.

In June she takes over as Coordinator of Tribal Involvement of the National (Lewis and Clark) Bicentennial Council, an organization she's been a part of since 1996.

"People tend to be passionate about certain aspects of the story," Mossett said. "My passion is the life of Sacagawea."

Despite Mossett's ability to elucidate Sacagawea's life through her culture, she said she likes the idea of maintaining a certain quality of mystery about her.

"If we knew every detail of her life, she wouldn't be as interesting," she said.

The third annual Lake Tahoe Chautauqua Festival will be presented on the stage at Sand Harbor. Saturday, June 28, William Clark will be performed by Brian Kral, and Mossett as Sacagawea.

Sunday, June 29, Meriwether Lewis will be performed by Clay Jenkinson and John Jacob Astor will be performed by Neal Ferguson.

Tickets for the Lake Tahoe Chautauqua are on sale now at the Incline Village/Crystal Bay Visitors Center and by calling 1-800-GOTAHOE.