“Much of Sacagawea’s life is a mystery.” (“Sacagawea Biography”) Sacagawea, the daughter of the Shoshone chief, was an important member of the Shoshone tribe. “Sacagawea was a Shoshone interpreter best known for serving as a member of the Lewis and Clark expedition into the American West—and for being the only woman on the famous excursion.” (“Sacagawea Biography”) “The spelling of her name and the dates of her birth and death are subjects of dispute among historians.” (Perkins) Without history, a country cannot be created. Sacagawea not only impacted the lives of Lewis and Clark, but also the life of her husband and her children. With her intelligence and bravery, she influenced many people in her life. Many American women have influenced …show more content…
“ In 1800, when Boinaiv [Sacagawea] was about 12 years old, her band was camped at the Three Forks of the Missouri River in Montana. There they encountered some Hidatsa warriors. The warriors killed four men, four women, and a number of boys. Several girls and boys, including Boinaiv were captured and taken back to the Hidatsa village.” (Perkins) “Of the three Hidatsa villages located at the confluence of the upper Missouri and the Knife Rivers in modern-day North Dakota, the Hidatsa-proper occupied the largest, northernmost one at Menetarra. The Hidatsa regularly sent war parties as far west as the Rockies, where they battled the Shoshone and Blackfeet.” (National Geographic) After being captured by their enemy tribe, Sacagawea was sold to the French-Canadian fur trader Toussaint Charbonneau. He was born in Montreal, Canada while Canada was still under the control of the French. “In the 1790s, he worked for the North West Company, a Montreal-based fur trading enterprise, as one of their voyageurs. He trapped and traded for furs with the Indians of the upper Missouri River region, becoming familiar with their language and customs.” (Charbonneau,
Over time, the power that Native women held with in their tribe has unfortunately digressed. During the age of exploration Native women have played key roles in the western fur trade. Native women assisted the fur traders by being liaison between the Europeans and Natives. This role was fundamental in strengthening trade increasing the economic stability of the post. They acted as guides for the European traders who often found themselves in dangerous and unfamiliar territory. Finally, they provided an intimate relationship for the European traders, and played a pragmatic role as a domesticated wife. However in order to fully understand the magnitude of the
Aboriginal women had occupied an essential position in the fur trade of the North American region from its birth during the 17th and 18th centuries. Even though this is true, the role of women, especially those of the Native American society, has been ignored a great deal in the entire history of fur trade. Contrary to the belief that the whole fur trade activity was only male-dominated, it very much depended upon Native women and their participation and labor in order to ensure survival as well as economic success. This paper will attempt to illuminate how Native women played the role as important producers when it comes to fur trade of the American Plains and, of course, the Canadian region. This paper will also deal with the two
Fur trade between the French and Indians began with the exchange of small items the Indians didn’t have, though it became an important trade source for all of Europe, especially by Samuel de Champlain
Sacagawea, with her infant son, became the only woman in the small band of about 40 or so men. As they approached more and more west, many Natives had never seen white men before and were ready to protect their land. Lewis was sure the presence of a young woman and a baby would be an obvious sign their purpose was peaceful (Armstrong 65). Over the course of the journey, Sacagawea identifyed many edible berries and roots, which were used as medicine as well. Also, she mented clothes and nursed the sick and injured (Moulton 7).
Fur trappers, their Indian wives and their families composed the first permanent European settlers in the region. They congregated in Willamette Valley, a spot that became known as the French Prairie even though the inhabitants were a
In order to better to understand Sacagawea’s impact and legacy, learning about her beginning are crucial. Before Sacagawea met Lewis and Clark she went through some adversity. She was born in 1786 with the name Boinaiv as a member of the Shoshone tribe which is around present-day Idaho. During her teen years, around the year 1800, she traveled east with her family through the Rockies towards the Three Forks area of the Missouri River. However, while they were
Long before European fur traders established their commerce on the North American continent, the fur trade had a long lucrative history that impacted native Americans and their modes of life. As a desirable and profitable good, fur was sought to “be the most valuable single item of trade.” Soon, a competitive market trade ground for fur emerged and the fur trade changed how Indian tribes adapted from their previous habitats: they were the primary manufacturers. Eric Wolf then discusses the consequences of the fur trade for different groups of Native American tribes both on the concepts of dependency and on the levels of how social economic relationships are changed. To support his claims, I will compare and contrast the experiences of the Abenaki
Sacagawea, also known as Bird woman, was the daughter of a Shoshone chief(“A Fine Boy”). Sacagawea’s tribe, the Shoshone, was a very poor tribe(Patrick, Mcgrath). She was born in either 1788 or in 1789(Patrick, Mcgrath). Sacagawea was captured by the Hidatsa Indians at the young age of 12 and she was also raised by them(“A Fine Boy”). Because she was the daughter of an Indian tribe, she made the expedition a success and was able to accompany Lewis and Clark on their return back to their own country(Fisher,Doris,pg 14). The expedition may not have been a success without the courage and the knowledge of Sacagawea(Kelly, Stephanie,p 9).
Sacagawea Essay Was Sacagawea an important and useful person on the expedition of Lewis and Clark? Lewis and Clark were two men who President Jefferson wanted to find a river that went from St. Louis, Missouri to the Pacific Ocean. Sacagawea was a Native American woman that went with Lewis and Clark on their expedition. People who would say she was not important, because she could not do anything while she was caring for her baby. I agree, she was a very important person on the expedition.
Period Sacagawea once said, “ Amazing the things you find when you bother to search for them.” Sacagawea is one of the most well known American Indians. She overcame many obstacles to become the woman we learn about today. She is a leader, caregiver, mother, and many more things. Through her struggles Sacagawea still left her mark on the world, with many achievements, and interesting life facts.
Sacagawea was really important in the expedition’s success. Lewis and Clark were good traders. Sacagawea was needed in the expedition. Not everyone think Sacagawea was important. I agree that Sacagawea was important to the expedition.
Believe it or not slavery was a problem even for Indians. Many Indians were captured and sold into slavery, Indians such as Sacagawea who was born in 1788 (Timeline). Unfortunately, Sacagawea was captured at a young age and was forced into slavery. We know her as the young, brave woman who traveled with Lewis and Clark on their expedition to the West. She is also recognized on the one dollar coin for her amazing adventure with the discoverers (Hoose 130). There is much to be known about this extraordinary women. The way she was taken from her family and put into slavery is a major part of her life, as well as her adventure with Lewis and Clark, what happened after she returned home and the legacy she left behind.
Sacagawea Essay A Native American woman named Sacagawea joined a expedition with her four month old child by her side. The expedition Sacagawea joined was called “The Lewis and Clark Journey of Discovery.” The expedition was to cross the western part of the United States. Some people suppose that she wasn’t a crucial part of the expedition.
In 1800 Sacagawea was kidnapped by the Hidatsa tribe during a buffalo hunt.When she got to their camp,she was the only one there who spoke Shoshone,she must have been very lonely, but while she was at the Hidatsa tribe for three years she learned to speak the Hidatsa language. When she was considered old enough in 1803 she married a French Canadian fur trader named Toussaint Charbonneau.After Sacagawea married she meet Lewis and Clark,who
The fur trade was their main source of conflict. ““While the French and English vied with each other for the trade of the Indians inhabiting the Western interior, the various Indian groups competed with each other for control of the carrying