“Bird Woman”
"Everything I do is for my people." (“Sacagawea Quotes”). Sacagawea was very loyal to her tribe, the Shoshone, even after the way they treated her. She had been kidnapped and sent to help out in the Lewis and Clark Expedition; an important journey lead by the Corps of Discovery to explore the newly-bought land called The Louisiana Purchase. Because of her free spirit, determination, and incredible help in the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Sacagawea became a notable Native American woman who changed American culture.
Sacagawea was born approximately in 1788. She was born in what is now Lemhi County, Idaho. Since there was no written language in Shoshone, the spelling of her name is unknown, but Lewis always spelled it “Sacagawea,” in his journal. Sacagawea means “Bird Woman” in Shoshone and “Boat-Pusher” in Hidatsa. All that is known about her parents is that she is a daughter of a Shoshone Chief. She, along with other females was never treated fairly because of their gender. They would get spanked for not doing what they were supposed to do. Meriwether Lewis wrote in his journal on August 19, 1805, “They seldom correct their children particularly the boys who soon become masters of their own acts. They give as a reason that it cows and breaks the spirit of the boy to whip him, and that he never recovers his independence of mind after he is grown. They treat their women but with little rispect (respect), and compel them to perform every species of drudgery.” (“Her Childhood”). At age 12, Sacagawea was captured by the Hidatsa Indians, an enemy tribe of the Shoshone. The Hidatsa Indians were on a buffalo hunt and encountered a Shoshone village along the way. The Hidatsa Indians killed most of the Shoshone tribe, including her family, and destroyed the whole village. They took her to what is now North Dakota as a slave. She was forced to farm squash, corn, and beans. She was then sold to a man named Toussaint Charbonneau, a French-Canadian trapper who was abusive towards women, over a gambling match with the Hidatsa Indians. He was about 41 years old and spoke Hidatsa and French. He married her in 1804 and she became one of his wives. It is believed that one of Toussaint’s other wives was named ‘Otter Woman,’ who was 16 at the time and also a Shoshone. They lived among the Hidatsa and Mandan Indians in the upper Missouri River. President Thomas Jefferson had bought land from France in 1803 called the Louisiana Purchase which was 828,000 square miles of unexplored territory. He sent out The Corps of Discovery with captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to go thru and find the Pacific …show more content…
Lewis and Clark decided to build a shelter called Fort Mandan for the winter. They met Charbonneau and insisted for him to come. They then took along Sacagawea because of her knowledge of the Shoshone culture and language. They became part of the interpreter team. If a Shoshone tribe was encountered, Sacagawea would talk to them and translate it to Hidatsa for Charbonneau, then he would translate it into French for Francois Labiche (a member of the corps), then he would translate it into English for Lewis and Clark. Sacagawea was the only woman out of all 33 troops. At the time, she was six months …show more content…
Sacagawea and the Corps of Discovery had survived illness, flash floods, temperature extremes, food shortages, mosquito swarms. Charbonneau received 320 acres and $500.33. Sacagawea received nothing.
Not much is known about her life when she returned to the Mandan Villages. In 1809, it is believed that she and her husband (or just her husband according to some stories) traveled with their son to St. Louis to see Clark. They left Pompey in Clark's care. 3 years later, Sacagawea gave birth to Lizette Charbonneau. When Sacagawea died, Clark immediately took custody over Lizette and Pompey.
There are many theories for Sacagawea’s death. The most known is that she died at Fort Manuel (what is now Kenel, South Dakota), around 1812 from putrid fever or possibly typhoid fever, a parasite bacterium spread by fleas. The other theory is that she rejoined the Shoshone on their Wind River reservation, lived another 70 years, and died there in
"Everything I do is for my people." (“Sacagawea Quotes”). Sacagawea was very loyal to her tribe, the Shoshone, even after the way they treated her. She had been kidnapped and sent to help out in the Lewis and Clark Expedition; an important journey lead by the Corps of Discovery to explore the newly-bought land called The Louisiana Purchase. Because of her free spirit, determination, and incredible help in the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Sacagawea became a notable Native American woman who changed American culture.
Sacagawea was born approximately in 1788. She was born in what is now Lemhi County, Idaho. Since there was no written language in Shoshone, the spelling of her name is unknown, but Lewis always spelled it “Sacagawea,” in his journal. Sacagawea means “Bird Woman” in Shoshone and “Boat-Pusher” in Hidatsa. All that is known about her parents is that she is a daughter of a Shoshone Chief. She, along with other females was never treated fairly because of their gender. They would get spanked for not doing what they were supposed to do. Meriwether Lewis wrote in his journal on August 19, 1805, “They seldom correct their children particularly the boys who soon become masters of their own acts. They give as a reason that it cows and breaks the spirit of the boy to whip him, and that he never recovers his independence of mind after he is grown. They treat their women but with little rispect (respect), and compel them to perform every species of drudgery.” (“Her Childhood”). At age 12, Sacagawea was captured by the Hidatsa Indians, an enemy tribe of the Shoshone. The Hidatsa Indians were on a buffalo hunt and encountered a Shoshone village along the way. The Hidatsa Indians killed most of the Shoshone tribe, including her family, and destroyed the whole village. They took her to what is now North Dakota as a slave. She was forced to farm squash, corn, and beans. She was then sold to a man named Toussaint Charbonneau, a French-Canadian trapper who was abusive towards women, over a gambling match with the Hidatsa Indians. He was about 41 years old and spoke Hidatsa and French. He married her in 1804 and she became one of his wives. It is believed that one of Toussaint’s other wives was named ‘Otter Woman,’ who was 16 at the time and also a Shoshone. They lived among the Hidatsa and Mandan Indians in the upper Missouri River. President Thomas Jefferson had bought land from France in 1803 called the Louisiana Purchase which was 828,000 square miles of unexplored territory. He sent out The Corps of Discovery with captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to go thru and find the Pacific …show more content…
Lewis and Clark decided to build a shelter called Fort Mandan for the winter. They met Charbonneau and insisted for him to come. They then took along Sacagawea because of her knowledge of the Shoshone culture and language. They became part of the interpreter team. If a Shoshone tribe was encountered, Sacagawea would talk to them and translate it to Hidatsa for Charbonneau, then he would translate it into French for Francois Labiche (a member of the corps), then he would translate it into English for Lewis and Clark. Sacagawea was the only woman out of all 33 troops. At the time, she was six months …show more content…
Sacagawea and the Corps of Discovery had survived illness, flash floods, temperature extremes, food shortages, mosquito swarms. Charbonneau received 320 acres and $500.33. Sacagawea received nothing.
Not much is known about her life when she returned to the Mandan Villages. In 1809, it is believed that she and her husband (or just her husband according to some stories) traveled with their son to St. Louis to see Clark. They left Pompey in Clark's care. 3 years later, Sacagawea gave birth to Lizette Charbonneau. When Sacagawea died, Clark immediately took custody over Lizette and Pompey.
There are many theories for Sacagawea’s death. The most known is that she died at Fort Manuel (what is now Kenel, South Dakota), around 1812 from putrid fever or possibly typhoid fever, a parasite bacterium spread by fleas. The other theory is that she rejoined the Shoshone on their Wind River reservation, lived another 70 years, and died there in