Throughout the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the Corps of Discovery (the name of the expedition team) came into contact with numerous Native American tribes. Some having considerable influence on the expedition and what Lewis and Clark learned about the land through the Natives. Arguably the most important Native American Lewis and Clark came into contact with was “… a fifteen-year old Shoshone Indian woman, the slave wife of a French fur trader” (Foner 2009) With the assistance of her husband Toussaint Charbonneau, they served as an interpreter for Lewis and Clark to the Shoshone tribe.
Shortly after joining the expedition in Fort Mandan, “…one of the wives of Charbonneau was delivered a boy.” (Bakeless 2002) ” Sacagawea gave birth to her first child in February of 1805, a son named Jean Baptiste Charbonneau.” (Weiser 2009) Sacajawea did much more than interprets but also guided Lewis and Clark along with the Corps of Discovery through their journey westward since Sacajawea knew the land and could get them there safely. Also “Her activities as a member of the Corps included digging for roots, collecting edible plants and picking berries; all of these were used as food and sometimes, as medicine.” (PBS n.d.) Sacajawea also showed Lewis and Clark what plants were edible.
After passing through Yellowstone in May 1805, Sacajawea rescued a number of items that had fallen out of a capsized boat; one of these items included the journals of Lewis and Clark. “The balance of our losses consisted of some garden seeds, a small quantity of gunpowder, and a few culinary articles which fell overboard and sank. The Indian woman, [Sacajawea] to whom I ascribe equal fortitude and resolution with any person on board at the time of the accident, caught and preserved most of the light articles which were washed overboard. ” (Bakeless 2002) “The Corps Commanders were so pleased that they named the Sacagawea River in her honor.” (Weiser 2009)
Sacagawea’s skills for navigating and interpreting soon became very valuable once the Corps of Discovery got into Shonshone territory where they were in need of horses and supplies to continue the expedition. As luck would have it the tribale leader of the Shoshone was indeed Sacagawea’s elder brother Cameahwait. “On August 12, 1805, Captain Lewis and three men scouted 75 miles ahead of the expedition’s main party, crossing the Continental Divide at today’s Lemhi Pass. The next day, they found a group of Shoshones. Not only did they prove to be Sacagawea’s band, but their leader, Chief Cameahwait, turned out to be none other than her brother. On August 17, after five years of separation, Sacagawea and Cameahwait had an emotional reunion. Then, through their intepreting chain of the captains, Labiche, Charbonneau, and Sacagawea, the expedition was able to purchase the horses it needed.” (PBS n.d.)
“Sacagawea turned out to be incredibly valuable to the Corps as it traveled westward, through the territories of many new tribes. Some of these Indians, prepared to defend their lands, had never seen white men before. As Clark noted on October 19, 1805, the Indians were inclined to believe that the whites were friendly when they saw Sacagawea. A war party never traveled with a woman -- especially a woman with a baby.” (PBS n.d.)
On the trail back Clark would again use Sacajawea’s skills as a guide through Yellowstone and call upon volunteer’s to travel with Clark. On July 3rd 1806, “We coolected our horses, and after breakfast I took my leave of Captain Lewis and the Indians, and at 8 a.m. set out with men, interpreter Charbonneau and his wife and child (as an interpreter and interpretress for the Crow Indians, and the latter for the Shoshone) with fifty horses.” (Bakeless 2002) “Later the Sacagawea would continue on with the expedition all the way to the Pacific Ocean. In 1806, the expedition began their trek back eastward, where once again, Sacagawea was invaluable guide. Clark praised her as his “pilot” as she recalled the trails from her childhood, one of which would later become known as Bozeman Pass, Montana. “ (Weiser 2009)
Work Cited:
Bakeless, John. The Journals of Lewis and Clark. New York: New American Library, 2002.
Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty!: An American History, 2nd Seagull ed. New York City: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2009.
PBS. Lewis and Clark . Inside the Corps . The Corps . Sacagawea | PBS. http://www.pbs.org/lewisandclark/inside/saca.html (accessed October 22, 2009).
Weiser, Kathy. Legends of America. October 2009. http://www.legendsofamerica.com/na-sacagawea.html (accessed October 22, 2009).
