The U.S. Mint introduced the Sacagawea golden dollar in 2000 and it remains in circulation today. The coin commemorates the Native guide and mother for her singular and essential contribution to westward expansion. The gold colored specie is a favorite of mine because of the remarkable story it tells.
The face shows a confident-looking Sacagawea with her infant son Jean Baptiste slung on her back. Together, the two of them accompanied the famed Lewis and Clark Expedition on their cross-continental journey to map territory, establish trade relations and collect information about plants, animals and geography.
The co-commanders of the expedition, Capt. Meriwether Lewis and 2nd Lt. William Clark, must have intuitively understood the value of having a woman’s influence on the journey. Sacagawea not only served as an interpreter and cultural bridge, she provided essential expertise by recognizing geographic landmarks and edible plants. Most importantly, she represented peaceful engagement — the presence of a young mother with an infant signaled to other groups in the then-Louisiana Territory that Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery was not interested in war. For the frontiersmen, her presence and influence opened doors, reduced tension and built trust.
Though our knowledge of this remarkable woman is limited, her legend reminds me of so many other stories about the distinctive influence of women. I’ve seen this influence in government, academia and business. Women possess extraordinary gifts that bring needed amity, balance, collaboration and wisdom to complex and challenging situations. When we elevate the stature of women, we benefit from these and other gifts. And, in my experience, nowhere is a woman’s mark more evident than that of a mother shaping the lives of future generations.
I’ve had firsthand experience with this last point. Utah’s former governor and U.S. Cabinet member Mike Leavitt is a mentor to me. His collaborative nature, bipartisan statesmanship, business intelligence, and service to his state and country bettered the lives of millions of people and represented Utah honorably on the national and international stage. His imprint continues today as the policies he led and the counsel to community leaders he provides contribute to a prosperous state and nation.
I will never forget a poignant experience while serving with him as a political appointee in the George W. Bush administration. For months, a team of policy and communication professionals collaborated on a new clean air regulations for our nation. We wanted to get it just right and poured hours into our analysis and supporting materials. Upon completion, I was allotted 15 minutes on EPA Secretary Leavitt’s calendar to seek his final review and approval.
We met in his small private office in the impressive EPA headquarters at 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. I summarized the issue, walked through the tradeoffs, and read our statement announcing the new policy.
After listening intently, Leavitt took the printed statement from my hand, thought for a few minutes, asked if I had a pen, and then made a few perfecting edits to both the policy and the communications. His edits created greater balance, common ground and progress, all hallmarks of his public leadership. He turned a suitable work product into a masterstroke of environmental progress.
As he handed the statement and pen back to me, I asked in amazement and with admiration, “How did you learn to do that?” After all, we had spent months working on the materials. He paused as he lifted out of his seat and simply said as he rushed to his next meeting, “I think my mother taught me.”
I’ve never forgotten this exchange. It mirrors so many other experiences I’ve had with Mike Leavitt. For more than 10 years as Utah’s governor, Leavitt called his mother, Anne Okerlund Leavitt, for a private conversation most nights as he left the Capitol. It was his reflective time with his mother; we knew as staff not to bother him. In ways that only Leavitt and his mother Anne will know, she shaped his impressive body of work.
We live in a time of extraordinary complexity, conflict and division. The pace of change keeps accelerating. Our public policies and interactions would benefit from more balance, mutual accommodation, peaceful intent and understanding. Women have much to offer in this regard.
Sacagawea gave off her gifts for a group of explorers. Anne Leavitt gave off hers for a son in public service. In doing so, they benefitted our nation. And, in both cases, the men around them asked for help. There is a lesson there.
This story appears in the March 2026 issue of Deseret Magazine. Learn more about how to subscribe.