Native Americans: Friend or Foe?
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Lewis and Clark knew that they could only succeed in traveling across the continent if they had assistance from those who lived there. They needed their help to understand the geography, weather and wildlife that they would be facing on their journey. The bilingual Shoshone woman Sacagawea (c. 1788 – 1812), for example, accompanied the Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery expedition in 1805-06 from the northern plains through the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean and back... with a baby on her back!
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Without the Native American's help the expedition may never have gotten past St. Louis. Lewis and Clark therefore set out as ambassadors of good will, and at President Jefferson's request, attempted to make treaties and become trading partners with as many native tribes as possible.
Directions: Title a new section of your paper "Friend or Foe". Then, use the resources below to answer the following questions:
- Watch the video "Who was Sacagawea?". Then, answer the following questions
- 1. What Native American people (tribe) did Sacagawea belong to?
- 2. How did Sacagawea contribute to the success of the expedition?
- Journal Entry: Lewis and Clark carried symbols of peace wherever they went, to help gain the trust of Native American's. One such symbol is the "Peace Medal" you see below. This medal was presented to the leaders of tribes to show that the expedition meant no harm. Before attempting your next task, you must first analyze the images and the passages below.
For this task you will be talking from the viewpoint of one of the Native Americans. How would you feel about these outsiders coming into your homeland? Would you trust them? What would you do if you were the leader of one of these tribes and was presented with a "Peace Medal?" You'll need to provide your thoughts on whether you would consider these strangers to be friends or foes, and why.
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