Sacagawea

Indigenous woman who played a vital role as a guide and interpreter for the Lewis and Clark Expedition, facilitating the exploration of the American West

Sacagawea (c. 1788–1812), a Lemhi Shoshone woman, became an indispensable cultural mediator for the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804–1806). At just 16 years old, while pregnant, she joined the Corps of Discovery with her French-Canadian husband Toussaint Charbonneau, providing crucial interpretation skills and knowledge of indigenous territories.

Her presence prevented hostile encounters with Native American tribes, as war parties rarely traveled with women and children. Historical records from the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail show she identified edible plants, located mountain passes, and retrieved critical supplies during a canoe accident. Most significantly, her reunion with her brother Cameahwait, a Shoshone chief, secured horses essential for crossing the Rocky Mountains.

Modern scholars emphasize how Sacagawea's contributions challenged Eurocentric exploration narratives. Her image appears on the US dollar coin, and the Sacagawea Interpretive Center in Idaho preserves her legacy. While few contemporary records exist, her story has been reexamined through indigenous perspectives in works like the film The Far Horizons (1955), though modern portrayals strive for greater historical accuracy.