Faith's+Report

Sacagawea’s Life Sacagawea was one of the most amazing women in American history. She was a very important member of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Her childhood is also very interesting to hear about. During her lifetime Sacagawea interpreted, had two children, and was kidnapped from her home. Listen closely to hear her amazing story!

Sacagawea was born in the late seventeen eighties. Though the Shoshonies were peaceful people they had many enemies. When Sacagawea was ten or eleven a war party attacked, taking her as a slave while her family was killed. A few years later Sacagawea was wone by Toussaint Charbonneau as a pries for gambling. Charbonneau then forced the innocent Sacagawea to be his wife, though he already was married and had a child. But this did not seem strange to the Indians because they often had several wives. Sacagawea was sixteen and Charbonneau was in his forties. That winter the Lewis and Clark expedition passed through the village that Sacagawea lived in. Because Sacagawea and Charbonneau could speak Indian languages they were hired as interpreters. Through the winter they stayed in Lewis’s and Clark’s fort. That is where Sacagawea had her first child.

The expedition was sometimes a sad, but sometimes a joyous time for Sacagawea. After a couple of weeks of traveling the expedition came across an Indian tribe. To Sacagawea’s joy it was her Shoshoni tribe, and her brother was the chief. But as Sacagawea rejoiced, she learned that all of her family, except the chief, her young nephew, and possibly one or two others were killed. But on their way up into the mountains Sacagawea started pointing out places she recognized from her childhood. Once when she was gazing out on the prairie where, so many times her people had gone buffalo hunting, and where her tribe got attacked, Charbonneau suddenly got angry with her and slapped the pore girl. Clark had seen this, and said that he would not tolerate it again. Another time because of Charbonneau a boat that had important supplies in it came close to flipping. Some supplies did fall out, and because it was a very deep the men started panicking. But Sacagawea had stayed calm and rescued the supplies.

Sacagawea helped in many wonderful ways. Several times she saved supplies, and Lewis and Clark’s journals, in which they wrote about the wildlife and Indians for the president. At every meal Sacagawea would find food for the expedition. She knew how to do this because as a child Sacagawea lived in a scavenger tribe. Also she worked as an interpreter. This was very difficult because one man spoke English and French, Charbonneau spoke French and Mandan Indian, and Sacagawea spoke Mandan Indian and Shoshoni Indian. So it took a while to get the message to get to the Indians Lewis and Clark wanted to communicate with. Another reason why Sacagawea was a relief to the expedition was because woman and children were never included on war parties.

After the several year expedition the crew lived on their interesting lives. Clark offered to raise and educate Pomp, which Sacagawea agreed to in 1809. Several years later it was 1812, and Sacagawea gave birth to her second child. She now had a daughter. She named the child Lisette. Shortly afterwards Sacagawea died. This happened at the fur trading post Fort Manuel. Clark also adopted Sacagawea’s infant and raised her like his own just as he had don her brother.

As you can see Sacagawea was one of the most amazing women in the United State’s history. She interpreted, took a very important role in the Lewis and Clark expedition, and had an interesting childhood. She didn’t know it but Sacagawea would become one of the most amazing women in history. I hope you enjoyed her story.