Replaceable
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.
"Not...all the interpreters employed by white men on...expeditions wholly knew the spoken language of the tribes among whom they traveled.... they relied upon the universal language of signs to make themselves understood, and this method of talking is known to all sorts and kinds of Indians." (Brooks 56)
Lewis and Clark were able to communicate to other Native Americans without Sacagawea's help. In one encounter Lewis and his crew had with 3 Shoshone women, Lewis was able to prove that he and his crew was peaceful. The 3 women then showed the group to the chiefs of the Shoshone tribe after Drouillard asked them 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.
Clark, May 21, 1806: "the party had gathered roots with leaves still attached they probably could have been sorted with Indian assistance."
Lewis, April 16, 1806: "I was visited today by several of the natives, and amused myself in making a collection of the esculent plants in the neighbourhood such as the Indians use, a specemine of which I preserved. I also met with sundry other plants which were strangers to me which I also preserved, among others there is a currant which is now in blume and has yellow blossom something like the yellow currant of the Missouri but is a different speceis"
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.
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.
- While she was hired as a interpreter for the team, it was only because Lewis and Clark thought she would be able to negotiate with the Shoshone tribe for the horses. If Lewis and Clark met someone else with connections to the Shoshone tribe, they would probably also be hired for the same reason.
"Not...all the interpreters employed by white men on...expeditions wholly knew the spoken language of the tribes among whom they traveled.... they relied upon the universal language of signs to make themselves understood, and this method of talking is known to all sorts and kinds of Indians." (Brooks 56)
- This means that all Native Americans, not just Sacagawea, were able to communicate with each other in some form. In fact, one of the crew members, George Drouillard, was skilled in communicating with Native Americans using signs.
Lewis and Clark were able to communicate to other Native Americans without Sacagawea's help. In one encounter Lewis and his crew had with 3 Shoshone women, Lewis was able to prove that he and his crew was peaceful. The 3 women then showed the group to the chiefs of the Shoshone tribe after Drouillard asked them using sign.
- Sacagawea was not needed all the time when communicating, even with people from her own tribe.
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.
Clark, May 21, 1806: "the party had gathered roots with leaves still attached they probably could have been sorted with Indian assistance."
- In this entry, like many others, Clark does not reference any Native Americans by name, even though if he meant Sacagawea, he easily could have done so. These entries are evidence that many other Natives helped Lewis and Clark on their expedition, and were just as good at doing so as the next.
Lewis, April 16, 1806: "I was visited today by several of the natives, and amused myself in making a collection of the esculent plants in the neighbourhood such as the Indians use, a specemine of which I preserved. I also met with sundry other plants which were strangers to me which I also preserved, among others there is a currant which is now in blume and has yellow blossom something like the yellow currant of the Missouri but is a different speceis"
- This entry shows that the local Natives they encountered on their journey were also very knowledgeable, arguably moreso than those who came with the team.
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.
- While one of the chiefs of the Shoshones was Sacagawea's brother, Cameahwait did not help out the expedition group because Sacagawea was accompanying them. He helped because Lewis and Clark showed friendship toward his tribe and wanted to repay them. Even without Sacagawea, Lewis and Clark were able to show kindness to the Shoshone's that earned them their horses.