SACAGAWEA

SACAGAWEA WAS BORN IN 1786-1812 IN A SHOSHONE VILLAGE NEAR LEMHI RIVER IN WHAT IS TODAY IDAHO. IT IS LIKELY THAT SHE WAS A MEMBER OF THE AGAIDUKA OR SALMON EATER BAND OF THE SALMON EATER BAND OF THE SHOSHONE TRIBE. ABOUT 1800 WHILE HER TRIBE WAS ENGAGED IN A HUNTING WAR EXPEDITION EAST OF THEIR HOME TERRITORY IN THE THREE FORKS AREA OF THE MISSOURI RIVER IN MONTANA, SHE WAS CAPTURED. SHE WAS 12 TO 14 YEARS OLD AT THAT TIME. BY 1804 SHE WAS UNDER A FRENCH CANADIAN TRADER AND TRAPPER. DURING THE WINTER OF 1804 LEWIS AND CLARK WINTERED AT FORT MANDANA ON THE MISSOURI RIVER IN WHAT IS TODAY NORTH DAKOTA. HERE THEY MET SACAGAWEA. BEFORE LEAVING THE FORT IN 1805 THEY HIRED THE FRENCH TRADER AS AN INTERPRETER AND REQUESTED HE BRING ONE OF HIS SHOSHONE WIVES WITH HIM. HE BROUGHT SACAGEWEA WHO HAD GIVEN BIRTH TO A SON, JEAN AT THE FORT.

HER ROLE AS A GUIDE FOR THE EXPEDITION HAS BEEN EXAGGERATED. SHE WASN'T FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA BUT WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE HER HOMELAND ON THE UPPER MISSOURI RIVER. SHE GAVE LEWIS AND CLARK SOME DIRECTION THERE. HER ROLE HOWEVER, WAS IMPORTANT. SHE WAS AN INTERPRETER, COLLECTED WILD FOODS, BOOSTED MORAL AND POINTED OUT LANDMARK SAND POSSIBLE ROUTES. SHE SAVED SOME OF THE RECORDS FROM BEING LOST WHILE THEY WERE ON A BOAT ON THE MISSOURI. CLARK BECAME ATTACHED TO HER SON. MUCH OF THE SUCCESS WAS THAT SHE WAS A GOOD EMISSARY AND LIASON. IN 1805 IN UTAH SHE UNEXPECTEDLY REUNITED WITH HER BROTHER WHO WAS A SHOSHONE BAND CHIEF. HE GAVE HER PARTY HORSES AND GUIDES FOR THE JOURNEY ACROSS THE BITTEROOT MOUNTAINS AND THROUGH THE SALMON RIVER COUNTRY TO THE COLUMBIA RIVER. SACRAMENTO AND CHAUBONNEAU, THE TRADER AND HER SON LEFT THE LEWIS AND CLARCK PART YIN 1806. HE WAS PAID $500. SACAGAWEA WAS NOT GIVEN ANY MONEY.

LITTLE IS KNOWN WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM AFTER THE EXPEDITION. RECORDS SUGGEST THEY WENT EAST AND TO ST. LOUIS AND ACCEPTED 300 ACRES AND PAY FROM CLARK TO PAY FOR HER SON'S EDUCATION. CITY LIFE DID NOT SUIT THEM AND THEY WENT BACK TO THE MISSOURI COUNTRY TO WORK FOR THE MISSOURI FUR COMPANY. HISTORIANS BELIEVE SHE DIED FROM A FEVER AT FORT MANUEL ON THE MISSOURI RIVER IN SOUTH DAKOTA IN 1812.


OTHER RECORDS SUGGEST SHE LIVED TO BE 80 OR 90 AND WANDERED FROM TRIBE TO TRIBE AND FINALLY SETTLED BACK IN HER HOMELAND IN WIND RIVER SHOSHONE. SHE WAS AN ENDURING AND APPEALING FIGURE IN ARMY HISTORY AND MANY RIVERS, LAKES AND MONUMENTS HAVE BEEN NAMED AFTER HER. THERE ARE STILL MANY ARGUMENTS ABOUT THIS AMAZING INDIAN EXPLORER.

FREDERICK HOXIE