Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1905-02-06

dition was of the greatest Importance.
Without her aid it is doubtful if the
travellers would ever have reached the
Pacific, and thus made it possible for
the United States to make it's only ac
QUESTION of territory by right of dis
covery.
Sacajawea was one of the three
sIaves-wives of ToUssaint Charbon-
neau, a French Canadian voyageur,
who acted as interpreter for the eX
plorers. She was a Shoshone Indian,
who had been taken captive by the en-
emies of her tribe. the Ninatarees, or
Blackfeet, and sold by them to Char
bonneau, who had been an interpreter
among the Gross Ventre Indians, hav-
ing Joined the expedition at Fort Man
dan, the Lewis and Clark headquar-
ters during the winter of 1904 and
1905 A short time after his arrival
he was Joined by two Indian wives
whom he had purchased from the
Rocky mountain country, and these,
with Sacajawea and their joint hus-
band, were invited within the fort to
witness the dancing on Christmas day
The birth on February II, 1904, OF
Sacajawea's son, who accompanied
her throughout The long journey
through the wilderness, is chrOnicled
Il
Expedition.
Charbonneau had acted as Mini
taree interpreter for the expedition,
and wanted to act as interpreter on
the westward march. on March 4,
however, he received a present OF
clothing, knives, tobacco, powder and
balls and other things from the agent
of the Northwest company, and this
circumstance, coupled with the
Frenchman's quarrel with Jessaume,
the Mandan interpreter of the eXpedl-
ton. and his unwillinSness to accept
at first the terms offered by the cap
tains, almost resulted in his being LETT
behind. But for Sacajawea and the
knowledge that she possessed of the
country through which the explorers
must pass to reach the Pacific, 1t IS
quite likely he would have been sum-
marily dismissed.
To the degenerate French voyageur,
who was her master rather than lover
and friend, and whose affections, such
as they may have been, she must share
with two other women, SaCajawea was
ever a faithful wife. From the first she
was popular with the captains, and
rode with them in advance OF the rest
OF the party, and she conducted her-
self throughout the long journey with
the utmost propriety
II seems hardI possible to conceive
in this untutored red woman such fine
sentiments as she must have pos
sessed to be able 90 retain her position
as one-third wife of a French hunter
and trapper, and trusted friend and
conddante of the leaders of the eXpe-
dition. without offense of either or
violation of any modern law of pro-
priety. of the existence of which she
probably had never heard.
Trained after the habit of Indian
women to do all kinds of drudgery,
Sacaia labored with the men IN the
toilsome journey UP the Missouri from
Fort Mandan, and soon performed an
important service The canoe IN Whlch
she and her husband and babe rode,
and which bore the papers and instru-
ments of the expedition, was caught
I'm a rapid and overturned. Charlton
neau deserted his wife and child, bus
SAGA iawea rescued the more important
papers before attempting to save her
own life and that of her infant son.
When the expedition reached the
Shoshone Indians, the circumstance Ot
Sacajawea being a member of that
tribe was of great advantage to the |
explorers. When n conference with !
the chief of the tribe was erected /
through SacajaweaS meeting With |
some of the women, the Indian woman
was called into the parley TO act as
She Immediately recoS-
nized Camewait, the chief, as her
brother. and an affecting scene fol-
lowed. In recording the incident the
journal of the explorer says: "She
jumped up and ran and
him, throwing over him her
blanket. weeping prOfusely. The chief
himself was moved, though not in the
same degree The ShOshones showed
he travellers every courtesy, and
henceforth Sacajawea was the most
of the line of interpreters
1t the councils with the various