Two-hundred years ago Sacajawea, a young Shoshone Indian girl found her place in America's history by stepping out of her comfort zone and doing something extraordinary. When faced with trials, like her kidnapping and forced marriage, she rose to the challenge and stay strong in spirit. With her baby on her back she accompanied Louis and Clark on an intriguing and dangerous journey across the American Northwest. When the men were on the brink of starvation, she found food. When sickness spreads through the camp, she made medicine to heal. When they encounter other Indian tribes, she was a signs of peace and translated the strange Indian languages. Without this brave 16 year old …show more content…
She was part of the Shoshone tribe, which resided near the Bitterroot range of the Rocky Mountains. Growing up Sacagawea had numerous names, as it was custom for all young Indian children. Since she was quick like a bird, and small in size she was given the name bird women. Sakaga meaning bird, and Wea meaning women, her name described her perfectly. Sacajawea had two brothers and one sister. Her brother Comeawait, who was the eldest child, later became an exemplary chief of the Shoshone people. There were no schools as we know them, in the Shoshone tribe girls leaned while they worked closely alongside the other diligent women of their tribe. Sacajawea collected wood for fires and made moccasins, clothing, and teepees. She was also taught how imperative it was to use herbs for food and medicine to heal her people. Like all Indian girls she was betrothed to an older man. She would become his wife at the age of 13 or 14. Sadly due to the unfortunate event of her kidnapping this marriage never happened. Birdwomen, a brave and youthful Shoshone girl was born in 1789 in …show more content…
828,000 square miles of land just west of the Mississippi river, this was called the Louisiana purchase. President Thomas Jefferson secretly arranged a expedition to explore the unchartered land. Lewis & Clark were chosen to be the calm, courageous captions of this intriguing expedition. Their task was to find men who could hunt, build forts, boats, and be able to handle horses. President Jefferson also wanted records of the trip, so he asked them to make maps of the land and keep journals along their way. The winter of 1804 the Corps. met a kind fur trader name Charbonneau and his wife Sacajawea. They asked Charbonneau to accompany them, because he was prominent among the Indian tribes, and he could translate many of the strange languages. Charbonneau, however could not speak Shoshone, but his wife Sacajawea could. The whole expedition depended on the Shoshone trading horses with Lewis and Clark, so they could cross the Rocky Mountains. Sacajawea was elated when she heard that Lewis & Clark needed horses from the Shoshone, she reveled in the idea that she would be going home. Two Centuries ago the U.S. was much smaller than it is today, but France sold us new land that was later divided into 15