Who was Sacagawea? Here's the real story of her critical role in U.S. exploration
Often remembered merely for guiding Lewis and Clark, Sacagawea's story is far more complex. Discover the deeper story behind the life of this Shoshone woman—beyond the expedition. Explorer Sacagawea stares into the distance while Jean Baptiste Charbonneau sleeps soundly on her back. She was vital to the Lewis and Clark Expedition after the Louisiana Purchase. Photograph by ZUMA Press, Inc, Alamy Stock Photo
Of all the figures that emerged from the American West, none may be so wrapped in mythology as Sacagawea. When she joined Meriwether Lewis and William Clark's infamous expedition west, she was just a teenager and a new mother. However, Sacagawea emerged as an icon of the New World.
Today, her name is synonymous with a period characterized by rapid westward expansion at the great expense of the Tribal Nations who stewarded the land since time immemorial. Though her brief life burns brightly in the American consciousness, here's what is known about the young Native American woman who accompanied the famed explorers on the journey that would change America forever. Who was Sacagawea?
It's estimated that Sacagawea was born in the late 1780s, however, not much is known of her early life before she met Lewis and Clark at age 16.
As a citizen of the Lemhi Shoshone Tribe, Sacagawea would have grown up in what is now Idaho, along the Salmon River. In Sacagawea: A Biography, historian and author April Summitt writes that the Lemhi Shoshone people subsisted on the salmon abundant in its waters. As a young woman, she would have contributed to the daily tasks essential for survival: preparing and drying fish, curing animal skins, harvesting wild berries, seeds and root vegetables, and even building shelter.
Sacagawea's life changed forever when she was abducted at around 10 years old. As the Lemhi Shoshone were camped near what is now Three Forks, Montana, the Hidatsa Tribe attacked. The conflict culminated in the capture of a group of young Shoshone women, including Sacagawea. The captives were taken to the Hidatsa villages near what is now Bismarck, North Dakota.
Sacagawea lived as a captive of the Hidatsa for three years until she married a 38-year-old French Canadian fur trader, Toussaint Charbonneau, who lived among the tribe. Sacagawea's forced marriage
Charbonneau was already married to another Shoshone woman when he took Sacagawea as his wife in 1804. Historical accounts offer a dark glimpse of the man with whom Sacagawea would spend much of her young life. In 1795 while working for fur trading business, North West Company, he was discovered raping a young Indian woman, according to journal's kept by the company's clerk.
Not much is known about how their marriage came to be. However, we do know that Sacagawea had little agency over her fate. A 2002 Los Angeles Times article reported that Charbonneau "won" her as his wife in a gambling bet. Others say he bought her in exchange for goods. In Sacagawea: A Biography, historian and author April Summitt writes that Charbonneau likely exchanged horses or other goods with the Hidatsa for Sacagawea's hand.
Others point to the union as a means of forging an alliance between Native communities and settlers.
Historically, matrimony between Native women and a European man was not one of romance. For European men in the fur trade, marrying into a Tribal Nation meant gaining insider status in what could otherwise be a hostile relationship. A Native wife could interpret for their husbands and tribes, forge deals and alliances, and open access to trade routes. For tribes, those alliances might keep them safe from destruction at the hands of colonizers or offer political mobility in a swiftly changing world.
Debra Magpie Earling, a member of the Bitterroot Salish tribe and author of The Lost Journals of Sacagawea, a fictionalized account of Sacagawea's life based on historical documents, emphasizes that the reality of the arraignment was likely more sinister.
'There are some historians who claim that Sacagawea was sold, that Charbonneau was trying to sell Sacagawea to other men,' Earling said. The Louisiana Purchase's influence on Indigenous life
Sacagawea's life took place against the backdrop of a quickly evolving geopolitical landscape brought on by the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. The largest land deal in American history, the United States doubled in size when it purchased 820,000 square miles from France—a swath of land that would become 15 states spanning from Louisiana to Montana.
The Louisiana Purchase also opened the West to a deluge of settlers spurred on by Manifest Destiny—the belief that it was their divine right to expand America beyond the vein of the Mississippi River. Settlers and indigenous tribe's clashed, the former fought for what they thought was divinely theirs, and the latter held their ground to protect their homeland and lifeways.
In just a few decades, the Native tribes that stewarded western land would be forced to the confines of reservations created by the U.S. government and subject to sanctimoniously cruel campaigns to rid the country of their peoples and memory. The Indian Removal Act of 1830 saw the U.S. military forcefully marching Native people great distances away from their homelands, resulting in the deaths of thousands by starvation, disease, and exposure.
(Read more on how North America's Native nations are reasserting their sovereignty.)
As settlers displaced Native communities, Sacagawea's fortunes changed. In November 1804, while she was six months pregnant with her first child, Lewis and Clark arrived at the Hidasta settlement to wait out the winter.
President Thomas Jefferson had commissioned the two men to lead an expedition into America's vast new territory acquired in the Louisiana Purchase. The expedition aimed to survey the land, forge relationships with various tribes, and collect information about new species of plants and animals.
Lewis and Clark recruited Charbonneau to their expedition, dubbed The Corps of Discovery, for his ability to speak French and some Hidatsa. The journey would span from the northern plains of modern-day North Dakota, through the Rocky Mountains and to the Pacific Ocean.
The fur trader's young wife quickly piqued their interest. Sacagawea was fluent in both Hidasta and Shoshone, an indispensable asset to a team of explorers venturing into Native American territories where language barriers could impede relations and even lead to deadly violence. Sacagawea, a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, is retrieving supplies after one of the boats keeled over. Sacagawea was vital to the expedition as she translated and guided the group from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Coast. Painting by Rob Wood, Wood Ronsaville Harlin, Inc. USA, Bridgeman Images Sacagawea's influence in the Lewis and Clark expedition
On April 7, 1805, two months after giving birth to her son Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, Sacagawea, her new baby, and her husband began the journey west with Lewis and Clark. She was the youngest member and only woman in the group, carrying her baby on a cradleboard on her back, in her culture's tradition.
While Lewis and Clark's journals mention Sacagawea less than two dozen times, many entries contain clues that may tell us what her life was like on the journey.
In an entry on August 14, 1805, Clark wrote that Charbonneau struck her during dinner, for which he was reprimanded. At times, she and her baby slept in Lewis and Clark's tent.
A month into the journey, the explorers were canoeing down a tributary of the Missouri River when the boats capsized, spilling people and supplies into the roaring waters. Sacagawea remained calm while gathering essential papers, books, instruments, medicines, and provisions that would have otherwise been lost to the river. The act inspired Lewis and Clark to name the river after her.
Sacagawea's language skills proved essential when it came time for the expedition to negotiate the purchase of horses from a group of Shoshone near the Lemhi Pass in modern-day Idaho. While discussing the purchase with the group's leader, she discovered it was, in fact, her brother, Cameahwait. Clark wrote in his journal that the reunion was clearly emotional, and the typically stoic young Shoshone woman expressed joy upon meeting her long-lost brother.
Sacagawea used knowledge culled from her Native culture to the benefit of the group, harvesting edible plants for food and medicinal purposes and making clothing and footwear. She also read the landmarks in the vast landscape, advising the party on the best route to return east.
Her contributions elevated her status in the group. By the time the voyage reached the Pacific Coast in November 1805, she was allowed agency that was otherwise not afforded to a woman. The captains allowed her to join a scouting party to see the remains of a whale beached on the shore and Clark's journals note that she even had a vote when it came time to decide where to set up camp to wait out the winter.
While the captains ultimately chose not to settle in the area she suggested—where wapato, or root vegetables, were plentiful—casting her vote as a lone woman among men would later inspire the women's suffrage movement to adopt her as a symbol.
Upon returning to the Hidatsa settlement in August 1806, Charbonneau was paid $500.33 and 320 acres of land for his role in the expedition. Sacagawea received no compensation from Lewis and Clark.
Little is known about Sacagawea's life after the expedition.
In 1811, Sacagawea and Charbonneau took Clark up on his offer to oversee their son's education in St. Louis, after the explorer was appointed the superintendent of Indian Affairs. Meanwhile, the couple worked for the Missouri Fur Company, and it's believed Sacagawea gave birth to a girl named Lisette in 1812.
Records point to Sacagawea's death from illness later that year; but that might not be the end of her story. In 1925, the U.S. government directed Sioux physician Charles Eastman to seek out where Sacagawea was buried so a monument could be erected in her honor. After interviewing tribes in North Dakota and Wyoming, he came to believe that she left Charbonneau to marry into the Comanche tribe, and lived a long life well into her 80s, passing away in 1884. Sacagawea's legacy in the United States
Today, Sacagawea's image is immortalized on the U.S. Golden Dollar coin, with her face peering over her shoulder as her baby is nestled safely against her back. First issued in the year 2000, the coin sought to honor her contributions to American history and was created in collaboration with Native American communities. The image seeks to remind us of the tenacity of the young Native woman as an explorer in her own right, and her strength as a mother.
From the waters from which she saved crucial records and supplies to Sacagawea Peak in Oregon, her impact on the country is remembered. An effigy in Salmon, Idaho—the homeland of her people—also stands in her honor.
"I think America has told itself this tale, made this myth of this young Indian woman who came along and helped the explorers as a false justification for the stealing of native lands," Earling said. "She isn't mentioned very much [in Lewis and Clark's journals], but her presence is so powerful.'
As Clark noted in a letter after the expedition, Sacagawea deserved "a greater reward for her attention and services ... than we had in our power to give her."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Wire
13 hours ago
- Business Wire
2025 Travelers Championship Generates More Than $4 Million for Charity
HARTFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV) today announced that the 2025 Travelers Championship – a PGA TOUR Signature Event – generated more than $4 million for over 215 nonprofits, both record highs. Travelers also set a record this year as the longest-running title sponsor in the tournament's history. In the 19 years the company has been title sponsor, the Travelers Championship has generated tens of millions of dollars for charity. Alan Schnitzer, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Travelers, said, 'This week truly captured what makes the Travelers Championship so special – world-class golf played before an enthusiastic crowd, all united by a shared purpose. It is a formula that led to a great week of golf and more money raised for charity than ever before. For 19 years, we have been honored to bring the PGA TOUR to Connecticut, and every year I am inspired by the passion of the players, the dedication of our fans and the incredible support from volunteers and partners who rally around our mission to give back. In addition to supporting vital charitable causes, we are proud that the tournament also generates significant economic activity for the state of Connecticut. Congratulations to our 2025 champion, Keegan Bradley, for rising to the top of one of the strongest fields in the game. We are already looking forward to making next year's tournament even more memorable.' The Travelers Championship donates 100% of its net proceeds to nonprofits. This year's primary beneficiary is The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, an organization based in Ashford, Connecticut, that provides a traditional summer camp experience for children with serious illnesses. Many other worthy charities – spanning arts and culture, education, health care, housing, human services, mental health, food insecurity, science and technology, and youth development – also benefit from their involvement with the Travelers Championship. Andy Bessette, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of Travelers, said, 'The Travelers Championship extends far beyond tournament week. We have created a community of fans that spans the region, and it is because of their support that we are able to make such an impact on so many charities, the true winners of the Travelers Championship. We are so grateful to the world's best PGA TOUR players for delivering another tremendous competition that we will all remember for some time.' The 2026 Travelers Championship is scheduled to take place June 22-28 at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. For more information, visit About Travelers
Business Wire
5 days ago
- Business Wire
Agilysys Launches Intelligent Guest Profiles at HITEC 2025 to Transform How Hoteliers Harness Guest Data to Expand Ancillary Revenue and Personalize Service
ALPHARETTA, Ga. & INDIANAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Agilysys, Inc. (Nasdaq: AGYS), a leading global provider of hospitality software and services, announced at HITEC 2025 Intelligent Guest Profiles – a transformative advance in how hotels and resorts harness robust guest data across Agilysys hospitality solutions to drive personalized service, smarter upselling, ancillary revenue and deeper loyalty. Intelligent Guest Profile Services (IGPS) technology is powered by Agilysys to provide a powerful, consistent, unified guest data search interface across all Agilysys hospitality applications. contextual intelligence prioritizes results -- beyond simple alphabetical sorting – to more accurately anticipate which guest a staff member is searching for based on characteristics such as 'already in-house,' 'upcoming reservation' or 'recently checked out.' Profiles surface aggregated multi-amenity spend data, are easily accessed by staff and appear consistently across applications – advantages not possible with disparate software and siloed data. IGPS unified search is enabled for Agilysys PMS systems (Versa, Stay and LMS) and across Agilysys ancillary revenue-related systems, including Spa, Golf, Reserve Dining and Activities, Membership and Book4Time. While other 'unified' guest profile approaches typically share minimal information such as name, address, email and phone number, Agilysys Intelligent Guest Profiles leverage a services-based architecture with 'subscribe and sync' capabilities to continuously collect and share real-time behavioral, transactional and preference data across Agilysys software applications and properties, creating a complete view of each guest from a 'single pane of glass.' Intelligent Guest Profile services track and store data well beyond other guest profile offerings, and then make these insights accessible at every touchpoint. Data includes photos, preferences, detailed itineraries, related guest profiles and member and/or loyalty status. Intelligent Guest Profiles also aggregate each guest's spending data and Recency, Frequency and Monetary (RFM) value metrics across transactions during each stay and over time so hoteliers can assess each guest's lifetime value. This behavioral data meaningfully improves personalized revenue management and optimization strategies. Consistently aggregating and sharing data in this way lays the groundwork for making more sophisticated use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning in predictive and prescriptive guest promotion, retention and loyalty programs. Intelligent Guest Profiles unlock these advantages for hoteliers: Closer connections between staff and guests resulting from intuitive, easy access to guest data that provides deeper insights than what staff members can gain from less sophisticated profile technology Elevated personalized guest experiences far beyond what previously has been possible Smarter upselling in real-time at scale, driving higher Revenue per Guest Superior guest satisfaction and loyalty resulting from more meaningful personalized service across all touchpoints Enhanced staff efficiency gained through intuitive, consistent access to guest intelligence across the property The ability to replace 'one-size-fits-all' guest relationships with data-driven, curated ones blending digital and high-touch interactions that are both personal and profitable 'Intelligent Guest Profiles represent a quantum leap forward in how guest data is collected, shared and used,' said Rohith Kori, Senior Vice President, Corporate and Product Strategy for Agilysys. 'The services-based, synchronized and aggregated data collection and sharing powered by is light years ahead of the approaches other software providers have used in attempts to create unified guest profiles. The Agilysys Intelligent Guest Profile services technology meaningfully raises the bar for intelligently collecting and leveraging guest data to elevate personalized service and revenue across properties and amenities,' he added. HITEC 2025 attendees can learn more about Intelligent Guest Profiles in two ways: Visit Agilysys in Booth #1611 during the June 17 – 19 HITEC exhibition days Attend How Intelligent Guest Profiles Make Hospitality Moments Matter: The Guest Perspective, presented by Rohith Kori on Wednesday, June 18, 11:15 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. in the Exhibit Hall, Tutorial Stage A: Booth 801 About Agilysys, Inc. ( Agilysys exclusively delivers state-of-the-art hospitality software solutions and services that help organizations go beyond what they can accomplish with traditional property management systems (PMS), point-of-sale (POS) solutions and food and beverage inventory and procurement systems. Modern, state-of-the-art solutions work standalone to provide best-in-class capabilities, or together in a coordinated ecosystem that unifies data and workflows across a property, to equip staff members to delight guests, improve efficiency and grow margins.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Jackson County short-term rental owners concerned ahead of World Cup 2026
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A change in property classifications has short-term rental owners in Jackson County concerned. This comes as Kansas City's first World Cup 2026 match is scheduled for one year from Monday. Ribbon cutting to take place for Margaritaville Hotel Kansas City Short-term rental owners, including those who operate Airbnbs and VRBOs (Vacation Rentals by Owner) are concerned this might affect lodging options for soccer fans, and thereby, owners' chances to make money. Some rental owners complain they learned of the change in classification when their new Jackson County tax assessments arrived in the mail. In some cases, property taxes on their properties jumped by 200-300 percent. Its causing some to question the big increases they'll have to pay, after their properties are changed from residential to commercial. 'It's taxation without representation,' Laura Williams, who operates a Waldo-based short-term rental property, said on Monday. 'We were never given a notice. All we got was this piece of paper right here,' Williams said, while sharing her new tax assessment paperwork on the Waldo property. Williams showed FOX4 her annual taxes more than tripled to $6,872. That's on top of the short-term rental taxes and registration she already pays to Kansas City, Missouri. 'Who is going to want to rent out their house for the World Cup when it's going to cause their property taxes to triple?' Williams asked. 'I think it's something people in Kansas City should be concerned about.' On Monday afternoon, a spokesperson for Jackson County said this reclassification is the result of a change in state law that defines properties that are available for rental periods of less that 30 days as 'transient housing', which means they don't qualify as residential. Jackson County Tax Assessor Gail McCann Beatty addressed this change with county leaders in late May. However, no one would answer specific questions from FOX4 about local effects of the change on Monday. Jackson County Sixth District Legislator Sean Smith said he believes this change from Jackson County may be unconstitutional, and that the assessor's office didn't inform the public about upcoming changes in their taxes. Smith wants to know if this affects all short-term rental operators, including those who register their properties as an option of renting them. 'The implementation and execution have been very poor. It should have been talked about in the public, so that if somebody is on the registry, but they have no way of using it, they could have made an informed decision,' Smith said. Download WDAF+ for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV Smith also believes this increase in tax assessment is being applied to short-term rentals in Kansas City, Missouri only, and not in other Jackson County cities. He said he intends to address these concerns at a Wednesday morning legislative meeting. Smith has produced . Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
