articlesforchristians

SACAJAWEA’S PEOPLE.

One day near the head of the Missouri, Sacajawea stopped short as she walked.
She looked hard to the West.
She saw far away some Indians on horseback.
She began to dance and jump.
She waved her arms.
She laughed and called out.
She turned to Captain Clark and sucked her fingers.
This showed that these Indians were her own people.
She ran ahead to meet them.
After a time a woman from the Indians ran out to meet Sacajawea.
When they came together, they put their arms around each other.
They danced together.
They cried together.
This woman had been Sacajawea’s friend from the time when they were babies.
She had been taken East by the same Indians that took Sacajawea.
On the way East she got away from these Indians.
She found her way home.
She had been afraid she would never see Sacajawea again.
Now they were happy to meet.
They danced and sang and cried and laughed with their arms around each other.

SACAJAWEA’S BROTHER.

The party went with Sacajawea’s people to their camp.
Captain Clark was taken to the chief’s house.
The house was made of a ring of willows.
The chief put his arms about Captain Clark.
He made him sit on a white skin.
He tied in his hair six shells.
Each one then took off his moccasins.
Then they smoked without talking.
When they wanted to talk, they sent for Sacajawea.
She came into the house and sat down.
She looked at the chief.
She saw that he was her brother.
She jumped up and ran to him.
She threw her blanket over his head.
She cried aloud in joy.
He was glad to see her.
He did not cry nor jump.
He did not like to show that he was glad.
Sacajawea told him about the white men.
She said they wanted to go across the Rocky Mountains to the Big Water
in the West.
She did not know the way across the mountains.
The Indians could help them.
They could sell them horses and show them the way across the steep mountain tops.

Sacajawea said the white men had many things the Indians would like.
If they found a good way over the mountains, the white men would send
these things to the Indians each summer.
Sacajawea said the white men were kind to her and her baby.
If they had not taken care of her when she was ill, she would not have
seen her brother again.
Her brother said he was glad that the white men had been kind to her.
He would help them over the mountains.
He would talk to his men about it.
He said to Captain Clark: “You have been kind to Sacajawea.
I am your friend until my days are over.
You shall own my house.
You shall sit on my blanket.
You shall have what I kill.
You shall bear my name.
My name belonged to me only, but now it is yours.
You are Cameahwait.”
After that, all this tribe called Captain Clark “Cameahwait.”