Sacagewea and the Corps of Discovery
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Sacagawea and the Corps of Discovery
Sacagawea's key roles in the Corps of Discovery turned out to be more important than Captain Clark and Captain Lewis could have expected when they hired her and her husband, Charbonneau, as translators for the voyage. She was the only women to accompany the team to the Pacific Ocean and back, with her infant son Jean Baptiste on her back. Sacagawea is partly responsible for the success of the expedition and has been noted for her courage, perseverance and her resourcefulness.
Lewis and Clark felt that Sacagawea could be an important edition to their expedition, mostly because she could be used as a translator. And also knew of different customs of the different cultures and tribes in the land. She did not speak English, but she spoke Shoshone and Hidatsa, which could be important when dealing with the unfamiliar Indian tribes on the journey. Sacagawea's husband, Charbonneau, spoke Hidatsa and French so the two became an interpreting team with Sacagawea speaking to the Indians- then translating to her husband, who would translate in French to the other French-speaking members of the expedition.
Sacagawea was a big help when finding food and resources in the woods. She knew how to dig for roots, pick out editable plants, find nuts, and pick berries. She taught the members what foods were good, how to obtain them, and she even knew of ways to use these resources as medicines, which could at one time or another saved a life...