Sacajawea

	Sacajawea
	Sacajawea was chosen to appear on the new U.S. one dollar coin issued in the year 2000. She is shown carrying her son, Baptiste. The model used for the picture is a Shoshoni woman who lives at Fort Hall, Idaho.

Sacajawea was an important member of the Corps of Discovery. She was the wife of Charbonneau, a French–Canadian who joined the expedition during the winter at the Mandan camp. Sacajawea had a baby boy in February 1805 while they waited for spring. The baby was named Jean (John) Baptiste, but was nicknamed "Pomp" by Clark. Sacajawea carried little Pomp on her back for the entire journey. Clark was very fond of Sacajawea and little Pomp.

Little is actually known about Sacajawea. She was about seventeen years old when she joined the expedition. She was a Shoshoni from the Lemhi Valley of Idaho, who had been kidnapped (with another Shoshoni girl) by members of another tribe four years earlier. Charbonneau had won the two girls in a bet with the Indians who kidnapped her, and he took them as wives.

Sacajawea was more valuable than Charbonneau because she knew a lot about the Rocky Mountain tribes. Also, a woman in a party of men showed other Indians that the men came in peace. When the party met with the Shoshoni band led by Chief Cameahwait (in Idaho), Sacajawea recognized Cameahwait as her brother. After a happy reunion, the Shoshoni provided Lewis and Clark with information, horses, and a guide.

Sacajawea continued to be a valuable member of the party as they traveled onward to the Pacific Ocean. While camped for the winter at Fort Clatsop on the Pacific coast, she saw a whale that washed up on shore. This was a great surprise for a person who had never seen an ocean and knew nothing about oceans. Click here for more about Sacajawea and the whale.

Like a good mystery? What really happened to her after the journey? Click here to read about the Mystery of Sacajawea.

How do other people spell Sacajawea? Click here.

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