Sacagawea - A complex legacy
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In our National Parks pod episode, we covered National Parks honoring women's history. One name that didn't come up was Sacagawea. I guess because we were focused on National Parks and not State Parks, but she doesn't really pop up in search results for State parks either! You have to search for her by name to discover that not only are there 16 statues across the US dedicated to Sacagawea (she is the most statued/monumented woman in the US), she DOES have a state park as well. Sacajawea Historical State Park is in Pasco, Washington. As I mentioned last week, we discovered that Biden signed an Executive Order earlier this year mandating that more women be represented in the National Park system. There are 429 National Parks and only 76 of them are dedicated to women or women's history. There isn't a compilation of information on this for State Parks.
So let's just get into this, and let's see if your history class taught you the truth about Sacagawea... 
Sacagawea conceived a child around the age of 14 - we know this is because she was pregnant in the winter of 1804 or 1805, when Lewis and Clark showed up in the Hidatsa village and started negotiating with Sacagawea’s captor for his services as a guide. In the Lewis and Clark party, there were twenty-nine white men and one African American man (who was enslaved). "Sacagawea’s perpetrator told Lewis and Clark that the pregnant child was his wife, and he negotiated a fee for her services as a Shoshone translator—a fee that would be paid to him, of course. As her captor’s so-called wife, Sacagawea never received a dime for her services—or any form of compensation—for the work that she did." (carolyngage)
One of Sacagawea's most notable contributions came when the expedition reached the Rocky Mountains. Her knowledge of the region enabled the team to find vital routes through the rugged terrain. In one memorable instance, Sacagawea recognized the Shoshone leader as her brother, Cameahwait, which led to a significant moment of reunion and vital negotiations that secured horses and guides for the expedition.
Her resourcefulness extended beyond navigation. She played a critical role in gathering edible plants, preserving food, and providing crucial knowledge about the natural resources of the regions they traversed. Despite these contributions, historical accounts often underplay her role, emphasizing the achievements of Lewis and Clark while sidelining Sacagawea's integral involvement. Part of the reason there is any documentation of the journey is that her quick thinking saved Lewis' journals when their boat capsized. (As Lisa said in the podcast episode about her: "Calm down. Let me drive, idiot") Again, she worked for free.
While Sacagawea's contributions to the expedition are undeniable, her story also reflects the broader patterns of exploitation and marginalization faced by Indigenous women. Her marriage to Charbonneau was coerced, and her role in the expedition was largely dictated by circumstances beyond her control. Moreover, her contributions were often overshadowed by the narratives constructed by the expedition leaders and later historians.
Posthumously, Sacagawea has been romanticized and mythologized, sometimes at the expense of an accurate portrayal of her life and agency. The image of Sacagawea as a loyal guide and symbol of westward expansion often glosses over the complexities and hardships she endured. Furthermore, her legacy has been appropriated in ways that serve broader nationalistic narratives while minimizing the continuing struggles of Native American communities.
And yet, despite the whitewashing and lack of solid information, Sacagawea's legacy as a powerful figure in women's and US history endures. As it should! She exemplifies resilience, adaptability, and strength, navigating a male-dominated and colonially oppressive environment. Her story underscores the vital, yet frequently unacknowledged, roles that women—and particularly Indigenous women—have played in shaping American history.
Today, Sacagawea is commemorated in various forms, from statues and monuments to her depiction on the U.S. dollar coin. (There are no portraits of her during her life, or photos of her. Lewis did not describe her either...shocker. So every depiction is different. I particularly love the image on the coin because it shows her young age, where so many other statues and images show her as a grown woman). These honors, while significant, should be accompanied by a deeper understanding of her lived experiences and the broader context of Indigenous women's roles in history. By acknowledging both her contributions and the ways in which she was exploited, we can foster a more nuanced appreciation of Sacagawea's enduring impact and the complexities of her legacy.
Sacagawea was a Shoshone woman who played an essential role in the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and a significant figure in women's history as well as the history of the US. Her contributions to the Corps of Discovery from 1804 to 1806 have been celebrated for centuries, highlighting her bravery, skills, and crucial presence in one of America's most famed explorations. However, Sacagawea's legacy is also intertwined with themes of exploitation and the nuanced realities of her life as an Indigenous woman in early 19th-century America.
Sacagawea was born around 1788 into the Lemhi Shoshone tribe in present-day Idaho. At a young age, she was captured by a Hidatsa raiding party and later sold into a nonconsensual marriage to Toussaint Charbonneau, a French-Canadian trapper.Let's get into that a little, because much of the documented history glosses over this part -
When she was 11 or 12 years old, she was in a Shoshone hunting camp near Three Forks, Montana. The camp was attacked by the Hidatsa, a Siouan tribe of Native Americans, and in this raid, four Shoshone men, four Shoshone women, and several boys were killed. Sacagawea was taken captive and enslaved. The Hidatsa force her to walk with them back to North Dakota, which was at least five hundred miles away. So she has survived a massacre, and she’s now enslaved.
At some point while in North Dakota a French trapper arrives, and he plays some kind of gambling game with the Hidatsa, and wins. To pay off their debt, the Hidatsa give him Sacagawea. She is now maybe 12 or 13, and is now his slave. He had already bought another Shoshone captive girl, “Otter Woman,” from the Hidatsa. He calls these enslaved children his “wives.” "He was her owner, her captor, and her rapist. Period."
(https://carolyngage.weebly.com/blog/the-true-story-of-sacagawea)
Sacagawea conceived a child around the age of 14 - we know this is because she was pregnant in the winter of 1804 or 1805, when Lewis and Clark showed up in the Hidatsa village and started negotiating with Sacagawea’s captor for his services as a guide. In the Lewis and Clark party, there were twenty-nine white men and one African American man (who was enslaved). "Sacagawea’s perpetrator told Lewis and Clark that the pregnant child was his wife, and he negotiated a fee for her services as a Shoshone translator—a fee that would be paid to him, of course. As her captor’s so-called wife, Sacagawea never received a dime for her services—or any form of compensation—for the work that she did." (carolyngage) "So here is a 14 year old pregnant girl, in the company of thirty-two men, most of whom speak a language she can’t understand. She is the only Native American among them, and the only female. She gave birth en route, and, according to Lewis, who attended the birth, it was a very painful and violent delivery." (carolyngage) Afterwards, she became extremely ill with according to Lewis’ journal notes, seems to have been a severe pelvic inflammatory infection. This could have been due to postpartum rape, disease, or complication from the birth itself. She apparently came very close to dying. She recovered, strapped her baby on her back, and walked for over 2 years and 8000 miles. 
Sacagawea's knowledge of the terrain, languages, and cultural practices of various Native American tribes proved invaluable. Her ability to interpret Shoshone and Hidatsa languages facilitated crucial negotiations for horses and supplies, which were essential for the expedition's success. Additionally, her presence as a woman and a young mother offered the group of mostly white men protection, since most tribes, rightfully, assumed poor intentions of such groups.
One of Sacagawea's most notable contributions came when the expedition reached the Rocky Mountains. Her knowledge of the region enabled the team to find vital routes through the rugged terrain. In one memorable instance, Sacagawea recognized the Shoshone leader as her brother, Cameahwait, which led to a significant moment of reunion and vital negotiations that secured horses and guides for the expedition.
Her resourcefulness extended beyond navigation. She played a critical role in gathering edible plants, preserving food, and providing crucial knowledge about the natural resources of the regions they traversed. Despite these contributions, historical accounts often underplay her role, emphasizing the achievements of Lewis and Clark while sidelining Sacagawea's integral involvement. Part of the reason there is any documentation of the journey is that her quick thinking saved Lewis' journals when their boat capsized. (As Lisa said in the podcast episode about her: "Calm down. Let me drive, idiot") Again, she worked for free.
While Sacagawea's contributions to the expedition are undeniable, her story also reflects the broader patterns of exploitation and marginalization faced by Indigenous women. Her marriage to Charbonneau was coerced, and her role in the expedition was largely dictated by circumstances beyond her control. Moreover, her contributions were often overshadowed by the narratives constructed by the expedition leaders and later historians.
Posthumously, Sacagawea has been romanticized and mythologized, sometimes at the expense of an accurate portrayal of her life and agency. The image of Sacagawea as a loyal guide and symbol of westward expansion often glosses over the complexities and hardships she endured. Furthermore, her legacy has been appropriated in ways that serve broader nationalistic narratives while minimizing the continuing struggles of Native American communities.
Little is known about Sacagawea's life after the expedition. When her son, Pomp, was five, Sacagawea and Charbonneau brought him to St. Louis and left him with Clark to oversee his education. The couple then returned to the Upper Missouri River area, working for Manuel Lisa, a trader with the Missouri Fur Company.
In 1812, Sacagawea likely gave birth to a daughter named Lisette. There is some uncertainty surrounding Sacagawea's death. She may have died when she was 25, or she may have died when she was 96....Records from Fort Manuel, Manuel Lisa's trading post, indicate she died of typhus in December 1812 shortly after the birth of her daughter. However, some Native American oral histories suggest that Sacagawea lived for many more years, residing in the Shoshone lands in Wyoming until her death in 1884.
And yet, despite the whitewashing and lack of solid information, Sacagawea's legacy as a powerful figure in women's and US history endures. As it should! She exemplifies resilience, adaptability, and strength, navigating a male-dominated and colonially oppressive environment. Her story underscores the vital, yet frequently unacknowledged, roles that women—and particularly Indigenous women—have played in shaping American history.Today, Sacagawea is commemorated in various forms, from statues and monuments to her depiction on the U.S. dollar coin. (There are no portraits of her during her life, or photos of her. Lewis did not describe her either...shocker. So every depiction is different. I particularly love the image on the coin because it shows her young age, where so many other statues and images show her as a grown woman). These honors, while significant, should be accompanied by a deeper understanding of her lived experiences and the broader context of Indigenous women's roles in history. By acknowledging both her contributions and the ways in which she was exploited, we can foster a more nuanced appreciation of Sacagawea's enduring impact and the complexities of her legacy.
https://carolyngage.weebly.com/blog/the-true-story-of-sacagawea
https://ltamerica.org/sorting-myth-from-fact-can-we-truly-know-sacagawea/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacagawea
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sacagawea