The Voice of the Sacajawea Dollar

Only a select few are chosen to model for currency. It is a privilege in that one’s face and body are forever immortalized on a coin or bank note, in the hands of the public for years or even centuries. But it can also be a double-edged sword, as many of the models on currency go unrecognized and forgotten.

However, since the 2000 release of the United States Sacajawea dollar, a rare perspective in the world of currency is offered through the coin’s model, Randy’L Teton, who was the inspiration for Sacajawea’s likeness on the dollar’s obverse design. Since that fateful moment, Randy’L has remained an active advocate for the American icon’s legacy and the coin.

As a college student studying art history at the University of New Mexico, the Idaho-born and raised Randy’L was selected by sculptor Glenna Goodacre to serve as the face of Sacajawea for her U.S. Mint dollar submission. When Goodacre’s work made it as a top finalist, Randy’L got the exciting news with a call from U.S. Mint director Philip Diehl to her dormitory phone. “I remember going to the computer pod (at the college) and I was the only one in the room. And I log into usmint.gov, and the first thing that pops up on the home screen is my face,” explains Randy’L. “And I think at that point I realized that this is history.”

Randy’L then received two more important phone calls: one revealing that she was on the winning design, which shows Sacajawea and her child Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, and another notifying her that she was being flown to Philadelphia to begin a publicity tour for the coin. “And that’s where things started to really hit me.”

When not attending classes, Randy’L hopped on flights to make public appearances for the dollar, at places like the U.S. Mint, a game show, and even QVC. “It was amazing going to the QVC studio and being on the big screen and seeing in the back how fast the coin was being sold. You could see the numbers just going up.”

The first time Randy’L held the coin in person was at the Philadelphia Mint, where she had the rare opportunity to view fresh-off-the-press issues during a behind-the-scenes tour. “When the coins landed in my hands, they were hot off the press. My emotions were overwhelming with excitement and pride. Coming from a reservation and not knowing ever in my life I would be standing at the Philadelphia Mint, holding a piece of history, a coin with my facial characteristics. It’s a great feeling.”

At these events, Randy’L and her mother-turned-manager made an effort to visualize her connection to Sacajawea by wearing a buckskin beaded dress made by her grandmother, Juanita Teton. “(I) was not going to show up in jeans and a t-shirt. (I was) going to be Sacajawea; to reflect what she may have looked like.”

Randy’L’s connection to Sacajawea goes beyond visual similarities. She first became aware of Sacajawea as a 15-year-old working in a tribal museum, where she often received questions about the famous guide. Both she and Sacajawea are from Idaho and Shoshone families, and when Randy’L modeled for Goodacre, she was only 19, just a few years older than when the young woman guided Lewis and Clark on that famous journey with a baby strapped to her back.

Life eventually settled down for Randy’L as the Sacajawea dollar became integrated into American currency. She then gained a sense of normalcy, graduating with a college degree and starting a family. But with such a deep connection to Sacajawea’s life, Randy’L has continued her life mission to advocate for the American icon’s legacy. “I am going to continue representing Sacajawea’s voice and share her story til my last breath because she deserves the honor and respect.”

Randy’L speaks publicly about Sacajawea and visits schools to share her story, alongside Native American history and culture. “I feel that Sacajawea needs to be known.” Unlike during the dollar publicity tour, she wears everyday clothing to illustrate the normalcy of Native American life. “I don’t need to wear my buckskin dress to prove I’m Native American.”

Randy’L also tells Sacajawea’s story with her 2024 graphic novel, It’s Her Story: Sacajawea, which explores the young woman’s legacy and her appearance on an American coin 200 years later. “I found very little research written about Sacajawea. It was all about Lewis and Clark.” Copies of the book are limited, and those sold on Randy’L’s website come with an autograph and an image of the dollar on the cover.

Alongside her speaking career and book, Randy’L sells rolled Sacajawea coins with her signature and issues featuring Native Americans on her website. “I have a lot of followers that are both Native American and non, and I always feel that my followers are following me because they want to know what is the next coin. And also, the fact that they sometimes, well, a lot of times, don’t know that there’s another coin that has a Native American on it. So that’s where I come in, I’m their coin historian.”

Now that her family is older, Randy’L is interested in being more active with the numismatic community. “I’ve had all these experiences, and I feel that now in 2026, I’m back at wanting to get more opportunities, talking more at a national level like I used to.”
And although it won’t be for many more years, she is hoping for a 50-year anniversary celebration of the Sacajawea dollar. “I would love to do a 50-year anniversary…the first coin rolled out in 2000, and we’re in 2026, and the coin is still here and we’re still making the coin.”

Information about Randy’L Teton is at randylteton.com.