Sacagawea: A Brave Helper

Long ago, a brave Shoshone girl named Sacagawea lived near the mountains. When she was young, she was taken to a new home along the Missouri River in North Dakota. She lived in a village of earth lodges with the Hidatsa people. Sacagawea learned their language and watched them grow corn, beans, and squash. Later, she married a fur trader named Toussaint Charbonneau.

In 1804, two explorers named Meriwether Lewis and William Clark came to North Dakota. They were leading a big group called the Corps of Discovery. President Thomas Jefferson sent them to explore the western lands. The explorers needed help to find their way. They hired Charbonneau and invited Sacagawea to come along. They knew Sacagawea could speak the Shoshone language. Her words would help them buy horses to cross the tall mountains.

Before the trip began, Sacagawea had a baby boy named Jean Baptiste. In the spring of 1805, the group started their long journey. Sacagawea carried her sweet baby on a wooden cradleboard on her back.

Sacagawea helped the explorers in many ways. She looked for wild roots and berries so the team had food to eat. She remembered special rivers and rocks to guide the path. When other Native American tribes saw a woman and a baby, they knew the explorers came in peace.

Sacagawea showed great courage on the long trail. Today, people remember her as an important hero in American history.