Sacagawea | OtterKnow Kids Encyclopedia

Who Was Sacagawea?

Sacagawea was a Lemhi Shoshone woman who helped guide one of the most famous expeditions in American history. She was born around 1788 in what is now Idaho, in the Rocky Mountain region where her people lived. When she was about twelve years old, she was kidnapped by a rival tribe called the Hidatsa and taken far from her homeland to present-day North Dakota. There she was married to a French-Canadian fur trapper named Toussaint Charbonneau. Despite the hardships she faced as a young person, Sacagawea would go on to play an important role in the exploration of the American West.

Joining the Lewis and Clark Expedition

In 1804, explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark arrived at a Mandan village in North Dakota during their journey to find a route to the Pacific Ocean. They hired Charbonneau as an interpreter, and Sacagawea came along as well. She was only about sixteen years old and had just given birth to her son, Jean Baptiste, in February 1805. Carrying her baby on her back, she set out on the dangerous journey that would cover thousands of miles through wilderness, mountains, and rivers. Her knowledge of the land, plants, and languages of the region made her an incredibly valuable member of the expedition.

How She Helped the Expedition

Sacagawea contributed to the expedition in many important ways beyond simply traveling with the group. She recognized edible plants and roots that kept the explorers fed when food was scarce. When the expedition reached Shoshone territory, she was reunited with her brother Cameahwait, who was now the chief, and she helped the explorers trade for the horses they desperately needed to cross the Rocky Mountains. Her presence as a young woman with a baby also signaled to the Native tribes they met that the group came in peace, since war parties did not travel with women and children. At one point, she saved important supplies and documents when a boat nearly capsized on the Missouri River.

Life After the Expedition

After the expedition reached the Pacific Ocean in November 1805 and returned east in 1806, Sacagawea and Charbonneau settled near the Mandan villages in North Dakota. William Clark offered to educate her son Jean Baptiste, whom he had nicknamed “Pomp,” and later took the boy to St. Louis for schooling. Most historians believe Sacagawea died around 1812 at Fort Manuel in present-day South Dakota, when she was only about twenty-five years old. Some oral traditions among the Shoshone people suggest she lived much longer, but historical records point to her early death.

Why Sacagawea Matters Today

Sacagawea is one of the most honored women in American history, even though she lived a short life. More statues have been made of her than of any other American woman, and her image appears on the United States dollar coin that was first minted in 2000. Rivers, mountains, lakes, and parks across the western United States bear her name. She is remembered not only for her courage and skill but also for what she represents: the contributions of Native American people and women to the building of the nation. Her story is a reminder that the people who shaped American history came from many different backgrounds.