Indispensable
Communication
Background: Sacagawea and her husband were originally hired for communicating between Native American tribes. She spoke Shoshone and Hidatsa. Charbonneau spoke Hidatsa and French. Another person from the team spoke French and English. Sacagawea would translate into Hidatsa for her husband, who would translate into French for the crew member to inform Lewis and Clark in English.
Guidance
Background: Lewis and Clark were guided and advised by the Natives they brought with them, since they knew the local land and people better than anyone else. They were able to identify plant and animal life and give some guidance using landmarks and such.
Lewis, May 29, 1805: "The Indian woman with us examined the mockersons which we found at these encampments and informed us that they were not of her nation the Snake Indians, but she believed they were some of the Indians who inhabit the country on this side of Rocky Mountains and North of the Missoury"
Lewis, August, 8, 1805:"The Indian woman recognized the point of a high plain to our right which she informed us was not very distant from the summer retreat of her nation on a river beyond the mountain which runs to the west....She assures us that we shall either find her people on this river or on the river immediately west of it's source."
Sacagawea showed some of the men on the expedition how to extract grease from an elk which they were planning to eat by boiling its bones.
Relations
Background: Sacagawea was hired for communicating between Native American tribes but more accurately because she had connections to the Shoshone tribe. The tribe had horses that were needed for the expedition.
Sacagawea was related to Cameahwait, which makes her very hard to replace. (The rest of her family was dead except for a few other people.) It would definitely not be easy to find another family member to help Lewis and Clark get the horses they needed. Sacagawea would be very hard to replace because of that connection.
Sacagawea was also friends with other woman who were also kidnapped by the Hidatsa's. When she saw a woman who was able to return safely to the Shoshone tribe, their encounter was very touching. Because she was kidnapped, Sacagawea's experience brings her closer to many other women.
Other
Background: Sacagawea proved her usefulness in more than just communication, guidance, and relations.
A month after Sacagawea and her husband joined the expedition team, a gust of wind caused the boat that they were in to flip over. While Charbonneau wasn't able to move, Sacagawea saved important documents, medicine, and other tools from being washed away by a river. In one of his journal entries, Lewis stated: "The Indian woman, to whom I ascribe equal fortitude and resolution with any person on board at the time of the accident, caught and preserved most of the light articles which were washed overboard." (Brooks 90)
The expedition was seen as peaceful from other tribes because of Sacagawea. They knew that a team with a woman and baby would not be dangerous.
Background: Sacagawea and her husband were originally hired for communicating between Native American tribes. She spoke Shoshone and Hidatsa. Charbonneau spoke Hidatsa and French. Another person from the team spoke French and English. Sacagawea would translate into Hidatsa for her husband, who would translate into French for the crew member to inform Lewis and Clark in English.
- Sacagawea was invaluable when she interpreted for Lewis and Clark and Cameahwait, a chief of the Shoshones, to ask for the horses that were needed on the expedition. Because she knew the language, it was much easier to ask Cameahwait than someone would by using sign.
Guidance
Background: Lewis and Clark were guided and advised by the Natives they brought with them, since they knew the local land and people better than anyone else. They were able to identify plant and animal life and give some guidance using landmarks and such.
Lewis, May 29, 1805: "The Indian woman with us examined the mockersons which we found at these encampments and informed us that they were not of her nation the Snake Indians, but she believed they were some of the Indians who inhabit the country on this side of Rocky Mountains and North of the Missoury"
- This example exhibits Sacagawea's capabilities specifically, how she was able to identify all sorts of tribes throughout the U.S. just by some left-behind moccasins.
Lewis, August, 8, 1805:"The Indian woman recognized the point of a high plain to our right which she informed us was not very distant from the summer retreat of her nation on a river beyond the mountain which runs to the west....She assures us that we shall either find her people on this river or on the river immediately west of it's source."
- Sacagawea was able to lead the expedition group to her tribe by finding recognizable landmarks to follow.
Sacagawea showed some of the men on the expedition how to extract grease from an elk which they were planning to eat by boiling its bones.
Relations
Background: Sacagawea was hired for communicating between Native American tribes but more accurately because she had connections to the Shoshone tribe. The tribe had horses that were needed for the expedition.
- "She came into the tent, sat down, and was beginning to interpret, when in the person of Cameahwait she recognized her brother." (Brooks 185)
Sacagawea was related to Cameahwait, which makes her very hard to replace. (The rest of her family was dead except for a few other people.) It would definitely not be easy to find another family member to help Lewis and Clark get the horses they needed. Sacagawea would be very hard to replace because of that connection.
Sacagawea was also friends with other woman who were also kidnapped by the Hidatsa's. When she saw a woman who was able to return safely to the Shoshone tribe, their encounter was very touching. Because she was kidnapped, Sacagawea's experience brings her closer to many other women.
Other
Background: Sacagawea proved her usefulness in more than just communication, guidance, and relations.
A month after Sacagawea and her husband joined the expedition team, a gust of wind caused the boat that they were in to flip over. While Charbonneau wasn't able to move, Sacagawea saved important documents, medicine, and other tools from being washed away by a river. In one of his journal entries, Lewis stated: "The Indian woman, to whom I ascribe equal fortitude and resolution with any person on board at the time of the accident, caught and preserved most of the light articles which were washed overboard." (Brooks 90)
- With this, she proved that, even under emergencies, she was a very important part of the team.
The expedition was seen as peaceful from other tribes because of Sacagawea. They knew that a team with a woman and baby would not be dangerous.