Sacagawea

Sacagawea Statue (Bismarck, ND) (http://www.pbs.org/lewisandclark/inside/saca.html )

What is a hero? A hero is a person noted for feats of courage or nobility, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life, like soldiers and nurses in wars. I consider Sacagawea a hero because she risked her life and her baby’s life to help guide explorers over thousands of miles.

Sacagawea was an Indian from The Shoshones tribe. She lived with her family in the Rocky Mountains, which is located in what today is the state of Idaho. When she was about twelve years old she was kidnapped and taken to Bismarck, North Dakota by the Hidatsa Indians, who were enemies of her people. She was later sold as a slave to Toussaint Charbonneau, who was a French/Canadian fur trader and claimed Sacagawea as his wife. On February 11, 1805, Sacagawea gave birth to her son, Jean-Baptiste Charbonneau.

US dollar coin which features Sacagawea (http://womenshistory.about.com/library/ weekly/aa051199.htm)

Sacagawea was important to the Lewis and Clark expedition because they thought she could help in trading for horses when the Corps reached the western mountains and the Shoshones. Sacagawea did not speak English; she spoke Shoshone and Hidatsa, however Captain Clark started to teach her English so they could understand each other better. Sacagawea crossed off over thousands of miles through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, south Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Oregon, and Washington.

Sacagawea is a survivor hero because she knew she could have lost her life in the treacherous voyage. Knowing that Lewis and Clark needed her help, she put her own fears aside and persevered the journey. Despite many physical, mental, and emotional challenges, Sacagawea survived.

Sacagawea is a woman who had courage and nobility; she sacrificed her life and her baby’s life to help people she did not even know. She is an inspiration to women all around the country and to me.