
In 1805, a sixteen-year-old woman named Sacagawea helped a party of explorers trekking across the western USA in hopes of finding a water route for trade.
Sacagawea, a member of the Shoshone tribe of Native Americans, assisted the men with communication and obtaining horses, and also gave guidance because she had traveled part of their route when she was younger.
Sacagawea translated for the explorers, but it wasn’t that simple. She spoke her native language of Hidatsa, which her husband knew. He spoke French as well, which he then could speak to one of the explorers who translated into English for the rest of the travelers.
Not nearly enough is known about Sacagawea but that doesn’t stop her from being a heroine to many—although in one case it was said her role was glorified. Perhaps for her that would have been considered true. I suspect she didn’t think her journey much out of the ordinary, but just another aspect of her daily life. And that alone is heroic in its own way.
►The photo above is not one from my personal photo collection, however North American bison were once plentiful in Oklahoma. Later I plan to post some buffalo pictures from this area.