WffiffiRpffiKffitry
Asm
#ffiffiRffmroff
'ffmwx'$Rq-uvw
T o m a n yp e o p l e ,p o l a r
l a n d sa r e u n f a m i l i a r
territory.
ffiffiwffiffiYtpffiny
E x p l o r e rgso i n g i n t o
a c a v es h o u l df i n d
othersto accompany
them.
territory
accompany
proposed
interpreter
duty
supplies
route
corps
clumsy
landmark
Vocabulary
Reader
Context
Cards
WffiffiWffimmM
Somescientists
haveproposed,or
suggested,
further
e x p l o r a t i o no f M a r s .
ffiw-mffmm'pn'ete
r
An interpretelor
t r a n s l a t o 4i s h e l p f u l
w h e n p e o p l eu s e
d i f f e r e n tI a n g u a g e s .
fu
Exptoringthewestln 1803
P r e s i d e nTt h o m a sJ e f f e r s o nd i d s o m e t h i n ga m a z i n g . H e
d o u b l e dt h e s i z eo f t h e U n i t e dS t a t e s !F r a n c e . s o lhdi m a h u g e
sectionof land west of the Mississippi
Riverin a deal known as
Purchase.
the Louisiana
Then Jeffersonproposedthat CaptainsMeriwetherLewis
a n d W i l l i a mC l a r kl e a da n e x p e d i t i o nc a l l e dt h e C o r p so f
Discovery.Their duty was to look for a route through this new
territory by boat and to meet the NativeAmericanswho lived
there. Lewisand Clarkknew the journeywould be difficult.
Theyfound men to accompanythem and gatheredsupplies.
Soonthey would need an interpreterto help them talk with
the NativeAmericansand avoid clumsycommunicationerrors.
AstheCorps
explored
the
unmapped
region,theypar
attentionto
everylandmart-
I
Main ldeas and Details
As you read"Sacagawea,"
figureout the mostimportant
ideasthe authorpresents.Lookfor detailsthat givefacts
o r e x a m p l essu p p o r t i n tgh o s em a i ni d e a s .U s ea g r a p h i c
o r g a n i z elri k et h i so n et o h e l py o u s e et h e r e l a t i o n s h i p
b e t w e e nt h e m a i ni d e aa n ds u p p o r t i n d
ge t a i ra
s n dt h e n
summarize
the mostimportantideas.
Supportinj
Supporting
Detail
AainIAea
Svpporfing
Supporfing
Detail
\f ffimmmfiilmm
You can visualizevariousstagesof sacagawea's
journeyto help
you identifythe most important main ideasand supporting
detailsof eachstage. Descriptive
detailswill help you create
mental picturesthat make the main ideasclearer.
Comprehension
Activities:Lesson20
\$q,3*t*:o"n
MEETTHEAUTI{OR
territory
accompany
proposed
interpreter
duty
supplies
route
corps
clumsy
landmark
ry'n$ll
, Main ldeas and Details
S u m m a r i z ea t o p i c ' sk e y i d e a s
a n d s u p p o r t i n gd e t a i l s .
;
Lita Erd,rk{t
LiseErdrich is part Native
Americanand a memberof
the TurtleMountainband
of Plains-Ojibway.Shewas
inspiredto becomea writer
by her grandfather,who was alwayswriting
or telling stories.Her sisterLouiseis alsoa
writer of booksfor childrenand adults.
,',
MEETTHEILLUSTRATOR
JuhnBW
Part Ponca Indian. Julie Buffalohead
Visualiz€ Usetext detailsto
f o r m p i c t u r e si n y o u r m i n d o f
what you are reading.
B i o g r a p h y t e l l sa b o u t
eventsin a person'slife,
written by another person.
Set a Purpose Before
reading,set a purposebased
o n t h e g e n r ea n d w h a t y o u
want to find out.
502
researched
traditionalNativeAmericanart
while in college. Sheoften depictsNative
Americanlegendsand traditionsin her
painting. Shesometimesusesher painting
as a way to exploreimportanttopics,suchas
prejudicessome people may have about NatAmericans.
Essential
Question
What makes
a team successful?
v('E' v{';E' r?;El""}{'{iEl't"* El.'vicHl' ** El
E
ri{
El.
El"..t;t
1
(sakuh iuh WEEuh) is a
Sacagarnea
It is theearly1800s.Teenaged
(shohSHOH nee)lndian liaing in theKnifeRiaeraillages,in
Shoshone
whatis nowNorth Dakota.Whenshewasa child,Hidatsa(heeDAHT
sah)Indianskidnappedher
fromherhomein theRockyMountains.Since
then,shehasliaedzuiththemon theGreatPlnins,far from herfamily.
learnedmnnythingsfrom theHidatsa,includinghowto
Sacagaweahas
grorafood. Sheis now marriedto a FrenchCanadian
fur trappernamed
(too SAN shahrbohnOH).
Charbonneau
Toussaint
Lewisand WilliamClarkhaaebeen
Meanwhile,CaptainsMeri'wether
Theyand their team,which
preparing
for theCorps(kohr)of Discoaery.
dog,nreaboutto starta longiourney
includesa large,blackNezufoundlnnd
all theway to thePacificOcean.
of exploration,
{l
/
'1..i1'l
f;l ;,,,1"
lr.rln May 14,1804,a crew of more than forty men set
off againstthe Missouri River current in a keelboatand two
large canoescalled pirogues (pih ROHGZ). The Corps of
Discovery was under way.
The expedition arrived at the Knife River villages at the
end of October. They were greetedwith great excitement.
heard talesof a giganticblack dog that traveled
Sacagawea
with the explorers. Sheheard that a fierce and awesome
"white man" with black skin was among the crew. This was
York, the slaveof CaptainClark.
The explorersbuilt a fort and called it Fort Mandan. Then
they settledin to spend the winter at the Knife River villages.
Lewis and Clark soon learned they would need horsesto
crossthe Rocky Mountains. The people of the villages told
them they could get the horsesfrom the Shoshonewhen the
expedition reachedthe mountain passes.
, i . El r,i'+.fi ll.f,El b,'{.,81itl'El fli,El
;>;r.El}i'{,El f,v.El r.NEl
El'55 El,r.,jiiFl"l*.1Ef .f i.t Ef .lcCH"rya El't,id El.rli{ El..f,HEl :
rln
February,the time camefor Sacagaweato have her
baby. It was a long, difficult birth. Captain Lewis wanted to
help her. He gave a crew member two rattlesnakerattles to
crush and mix with water. ]ust a few minutes after drinking
the mixture, Sacagaweagave birth to a baby boy, He was
named jean-Baptiste(zhawn bap TEEST)Charbonneau,but
Captain Clark called him Pompy. Beforelong, the boy was
known to everyoneas Pomp.
On April 7,1805,the Corps of Discovery startedwest,
struggling upstream on the mighty, muddy Missouri in two
pirogues and six smaller canoes.Pomp was not yet two
months old. As Sacagaweawalked along the riverbank, she
carried Pomp on her back, in a cradleboardor wrapped up
snug in her shawl.
Every member of the Corps of Discoverywas hired for
a specialskill-hunter, blacksmith,woodsman, sailor. As
an interpretel, Charbonneauwas paid much more than the
other crew members. But his skills as a sailor,guide, and
outdoorsmanwere very poor. The only thing he did well was
cook buffalo sausage.
Sacagaweadid what she could to help the expedition,even
though shewas paid nothing. As she walked along the shore
with Captain Clark, Sacagawealooked for plants to keep the
crew healthy. Shegatheredberries or dug for wild artichoke
roots with her digging stick. Her Shoshonechildhood had
preparedher well for this journey.
The Corps had been traveling lessthan two months when
near disasterstruck. Charbonneauwas steeringa boat
through choppy waters when a sudden high wind tipped it
sideways. He lost his wits and dropped the rudder while
the boat filled with water. The expedition'svaluableswere
spilling overboard! Charbonneauwas ordered to right the
boat or be shot.
,:. El rtx'.$ ,',t.,fil l*,El
i':,t'El tr,\'.El b,Y.Elt*\'.El ii'rrg ,rr..El
Rlitill'l'l
Sacagaweastayed calm and rescued the captains'
important things-journals, gunpowder, medicines, scientific
instruments-every bundle she could reach. Without these
supplies,the expedition could not have continued.
A few days later, they cameto a beautiful river. The
grateful captainsnamed it after Sacagawea.
--_-=4ffi-
; ds, drro,
.
AND TH.NK
iff|
ruarn rqeas anq uerars ':=-: -'.
l!!ffi
onoaoe5uo.
El'ntt El..ru.lf;f "i'iriEl"rir Ef 'v;d$f ''r.< El'vo! Ef 'uli El.t"'{ El .:
D
"LDy]une, the corps was entering mountain country. Soon
they could hear the distant roaring sound of the Great Falls
of the Missouri. Captain Lewis thought the waterfall was the
grandestsight he had ever seen. But there was no way to get
past it by boat. It would take the corps nearly a month to get
around the Great Falls and the four waterfalls they found just
beyond it.
The crew built creaky,clumsy wagons to carry their boats
and supplies. Batteredby hail, rain, and wind, the men
dragged the wagons over sharp rocks and prickly pear cactus
that punctured their moccasins.
One day, a freak cloudburst causeda flash flood. Rocks,
mud, and water camecrashingdown the canyon. Sacagawea
held on to her son as tight as she could while Clark pushed
and pulled them both to safety. Pomp's cradleboard,clothes,
and bedding were swept away by the rushing water, but all
three were unharmed.
By the middle of july, the corps was onceagain paddling
up the Missouri. They reacheda valley where three rivers
cametogetheq,a place Sacagaweaknew well. If she was
upset to seeit again,she did not show it. The captains
learnedhow Sacagaweahad been captured and her
peoplekilled.
Sacagawearecognizeda landmark that her people called
the BeaverHead Mountain. Sheknew they must be nearing
the summer camp of the Shoshone.
STOPAND THINK
Author'sCraft Inthe firstparagraph
on this
page is the word roaring. Roar is an exampleof
onomatopoeia.That is,the soundand meaning
of the word are similar.Findanother exampleof
onomatopoeiain the secondparagraphon this page
,.. El .\ri El ;\i{'El }iri.g ;','i.El;\,'t."ElbrtrEl i:r,ig
rri El ,W.El
Nearly two weeks later,sacagaweawalked along the river,
scanningthe familiar territory. Shespotted somemen on
horsebackfar aheadof them. suddenly, Captain Clark saw
Sacagaweadanceup and down with happiness,sucking her
fingers. He knew this sign meant that thesewere her people,
the Shoshone.
An excitedcrowd greetedthe explorersat the shoshone
camp. Although yearshad passedsincesacagaweahad been
captured,a shoshonewoman recognizedher. she rushed up
to Sacagaweaand threw her arms around her.
H "" El' r*-*El'l{ri E"l'";4 H"}';'l fil..'i";'l El'v;afil"r'i{ Hl'r*l E
T
Lewis and Clark had discoveredthat their need for
Shoshonehorseswas even greaterthan they thought' There
was far more mountain country betweenthe Missouri River
and a water route to the Pacificthan they expected. A grand
was to be
councilwas calledto discussthe matter..Sacagawea
one of the translators.
Interpreting for the men at the chief's council was a serious
responsibility. Sacagaweawanted to do her best. But when
she looked at the faceof the Shoshonechief, sheburst into
tears. He was her brother, Cameahwait (kah mah WAY uht)!
sacagaweajumped up, threw her blanket over her brother,
and wept.
Cameahwaitwas moved, too. But the council had to
continue. Though tearskept flooding back, Sacagaweakept
to her duty until the council ended.
ffi-s
'du
(
, . El i'ii.El ir,'.l,9 i:it'.*
i-i"l"Hli:rl'g
i:r*,9 fii.fl
]++.E ${,8
Sacagawea
spentthe last days of August with her people.
The time passedtoo quickly. Beforelong, the expedition
had to mount Shoshonehorsesand continue acrossthe
rnountains,leaving their boatsbehind.
The next part of their journey almost killed them. The
mountain paths were narrow and dangerous,especiallyonce
it started to snow. Their feet froze, they didn't have enough
to eat, and the mountains seemedwithout end.
Finally, the expedition emergedon the Pacificside of the
Rockies. ThereNez Perce(nehz purs) Indians helped them
make new boats and agreedto keep the horsesin casethey
returned that way in the spring.
With great relief, the crew dropped their boats into the
ClearwaterRiver and let the current carry the expedition
toward the ocean.
At the beginning of November,the explorersnoticed a
sound that could only be the crashingof waves. They had
finally reachedthe PacificOcean!
The crew voted on where to make winter camp.
Sacagawea
was allowed to vote, too. Shewanted to stay
where she could find plenty of wapato roots for winter food.
They set up camp not far from the ocean,in casea ship came
to take them back home. But by nory peopleback eastwere
surethe whole corpswas long dead. No ship camefor them.
A cold rain soakedthe crew as they cut logs and built Fort
Clatsop. The hunters went to find game,while Sacagawea
dug for wapato roots in the soggyground.
STOPAND THINK
Visualize As Sacagawea
reuniteswith the
Shoshoneon pages509-510,which phrases
hr e l p y o u v i s u a l i z w
e hat happens?
t
a
jt'tEf ltl g"l+iEf'+"*l
El*'r'lEl
El'.r**EI'n:'.1g'-i'iriSl''}"'i El
sffiffi'
A
\-hrist*as Day was rainy and dreary,but the corps was
determined to celebrate.The men fired a salutewith their
guns and sang. Sacagaweagave Captain Clark a fine gift of
two dozenwhite weaseltails.
In early January,Clark heard from some Indians that a
whale had washed up onshore. He decided to go to the ocean
to get blubber for the crew to eat. They were tired of their
diet of lean spoiled meat and fish.
,ffir45
512
q
!,'i\ El i!..i.,El I,.{.El }r\,s1 i},T,El;:i,v'g
iili,,,,,
Sacagaweagatheredup her courageand insisted that she
be allowed to accompanyClark. Shehadn't traveled so far
to leavewithout ever seeingthe ocean! And she wanted to
seethat monstrouscreature. The captainsagreedto let
her go.
At last, Sacagaweasaw the PacificOcean. Shestood and
staredat the great waters stretchingendlesslyin front of her.
On the beachwas the great skeletonof the whale. It was an
amazing sight, nearly as long as twenty men lying end to
end. The whale had been picked clean,but Clark was able to
buy someblubber from the Indians to feed his men.
513
rr
|- he crew stayedbusy all winter, hunting, sewing
moccasins,and making repairs on their equipment.
Clark made maps,while Lewis worked on his report to
PresidentJefferson.
Sacagaweawatched over Pomp as he began to walk.
Captain Clark called him "my little dancing boy." He had
becomevery attachedto Sacagaweaand her son. When the
time came,it would be hard for them to part.
Spring arrived, and it was time to go back the way they had
come. In lateMarch,the Corpsof Discoveryheadedup the
Columbia River to retrieve their horsesfrom the Nez Perce.
,'{'\El ti''|\El bi'{''Ell*.l',El ni'{.El}ix'g }'\''El h,.s.El},\,8 }tr.El
At a place called Travelers'Rest,the expedition divided
into two groups. Sacagaweawould help guide Clark's gtoup
south to the Yellowstone River. Lewis's group would head
northeast to explore the Marias River.
At the end of July,Clark's group cameacrossan enormous
rock tower on the banks of the Yellowstone. Clark named it
Pompy's Tower in honor of his beloved little friend. In the
side of the rock, he carved:
The two groups met up on August 12. TWodays late{,
Sacagaweagazed onceagain upon the round earth lodges
of the Knife River villages. Shehad been gone a year and
four months.
Lewis and Clark prepared to return to St. Louis. Before
they left, Captain Clark cameto talk to Sacagaweaand
Charbonneau. He offered to take Pomp back to St. Louis with
him. He would seethat the boy had a good educationand
would raisehim as his own son.
El.'lt*El,
Ef ,'1,..{
El.rs El.r.i*g'.r''*g" n* El''+',{
EI,.t*{E
ru
rr
Du.ugulrea knew that CaptainClark would take good
careof her child. But he was not even two years old. She
couldn't let him go yet. Sacagaweaand Charbonneau
promised they would bring Pomp to visit Clark in a year
or so.
On Augu st 77, L8A6,Sacagaweawatched as the Corps of
Discovery set off again down the Missouri River. Her journerof exploration was ovet but the Corps of Discovery still had
hundreds of miles to go.
,.,t\ El ,r"+'g
i:iriiSf },"{,El tr,.'t:fi1hiit:g ,."f\,El
i:l'{Fq }:i'f.El ,-',ni'.El
OU{T
:g ,&{:fi:gqp**.}
\,i.,1*
Write an Explanation
l m a g i n et h a t y o u h a d b e e n
invitedto go on Lewisand
C l a r k ' se x p e d i t i o n .W h a t
q u a l i t i e so r s k i l l sw o u l d y o u
h a v eb r o u g h tt o t h e t e a m ?
What would you haveenjoyed
most about the trip? What
would you havefound most
difficult? Write a paragraph
e x p l a i n i n gy o u r i d e a s .
P E R S O N ARLE S P O N S E
I
Act Out a Scene Work in a
s m a l lg r o u p . l m a g i n et h a t y o u
are actorsstarringin a movie
about the Corpsof Discovery.
Choosea scenefrom the
s e l e c t i o na n d d e c i d ew h o w i l l
p l a yt h e r o l e si n t h a t s c e n e .
Includea narratoi,if necessary.
C o l l e c st o m ep r o p st h a t w i l l
h e l p b r i n g y o u r s c e n et o l i f e .
Practicethe sceneand perform
it for the class.
S M A L LG R O U P
I
ffi
,u'mil:til'[.,$
il"n,lm
\id.im-1,,
With a partner;discuss
what madethe Corpsof
Discovery
team successful.
What
c h a l l e n g eds i d t h e y f a c e ? H o w d i d t h e y
w o r k t o g e t h e rt o m e e tt h e s ec h a l l e n g e s ?
How importantwas Sacagawea
as a
m e m b e ro f t h i s t e a m ? U s ed e t a i l sf r o m
the selectionto supportyour thoughts.
MAIN IDEASAND DETAILS