Sacagawea

Sacagawea is a documentary-like movie about an Indian girl from Shoshone tribe called Sacagawea. She acted as an extremely valuable member in the very important Lewis and Clark expedition, which took place in 1804. The Expedition, starting in St. Louis, Missouri, took them all the way up the Missouri River towards the Rocky mountains. Their aim was to reach the Pacific Ocean by land. Sacagawea was a great contribution to this expedition. For starters, the beginning of the journey had the travelers coming to Sacagawea’s native village where she was kidnapped from at the age of twelve, so she was able to point the right paths and landmarks. Needless to mention is her usefulness as an interpreter. She also served as a peace symbol because she and her newborn son (whom she carried on her back the entire journey) were peace symbols indicating to the Indians that the party she was traveling with was not a war party. The travellers reached the Pacific Ocean in November, 1805. Captain Clark allowed the men (including his colored servant) and Sacagawea to vote on where to camp during the winter. The expedition ended successfully in the spring of 1806. The path taken by them became the basis of the Oregon Trail and was used by future pioneers traveling west.

The significance of the expedition

During this expedition, various types of food previously unknown to Americans and Europeans were discovered. For example, Sacagawea taught the men how to find edible plants, berries, and nuts which gave them needed vitamins and nourishment.Another new discovery for the Americans was the wild forest animals such as deer-like creatures and many others.Also, the time when Captain made everyone to vote where to camp marked the first time in history that black people and women are allowed to vote.

Important Characters

Sacagawea:
A young girl who, at the age of twelve, was kidnapped by the war party of Hidatsa Indians. She was later sold as wife to a French-Canadian fur-trader as his wife. Both she and her husband joined the Lewis and Clark expedition. Along the journey, she grew extremely fond of Captain Clark. She also had to be a strong-willed woman. After all, no weak-minded woman would be able to survive all these dangerous adventures with a baby on her back. Her quick-thinking skills also were a lot of help in the expedition.

Captain Clark:
He seemed to be a really kind person who gave equal rights to all, as we can see from the voting scene. Also he was a man of his word. As he promised Sacagawea, he took her son to be educated when he came of the right age. After Sacagawea’s death, Clark legally adopted Sacagawea’s two children, Jean Baptiste and Lisette.

Captain Lewis:
His extensive knowledge of medicine and healing led Sacagawea to call him ‘The Medicine Man’. He was the one who healed Sacagawea the night her son was born. He also took care of a great deal of sick people they met on the trip. When Sacagawea was taken very ill with a temperature during the journey, he nursed her back to health with his medicine supplies. His curing techniques were very unusual but always effective.