The ones who were here first

𝐒𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐣𝐚𝐰𝐞𝐚 (pronounced Sack-ah-jah-WEE-a),Indigenous American heroine.

Before Idaho was even a territory, Sacajawea was born in the Lemhi River Valley in the late 1780s. The Lemhi River Valley during this period was inhabited by the Agaidika

(Salmon-eater) Shoshone. Around the age of 12, Sacajawea was with her tribe hunting bison in the Three Forks area of the Missouri River when she was captured by a raiding party from another tribe. She was later traded to the Hidatsa tribe in present day North Dakota. She learned to speak the language of the Hidatsa and lived with the tribe for a few years. Once more she was traded, this time to French trapper Toussaint Charbonneau, and married him.

In the winter of 1805 while the Lewis and Clark Expedition wintered at Fort Mandan, Charbonneau, and subsequently Sacajawea, were hired to help the expedition on its westward journey. During the winter Sacajawea gave birth to her son, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau. In May of that year, Sacajawea and her infant child set forth as part of the Expedition west.

On August 12th, 1805, Meriwether Lewis and his men climbed the eastern slopes of the continental divide, and stood on what is now known as Lemhi Pass, viewing the birthplace of Sacajawea below to the west. Just five days later, Clark noted the reuniting of Sacajawea, her people, and her brother who was now a chief of the Agaidika.

Sacajawea provided lifesaving information regarding local tribes, edible foods, indigenous medicines, and the mostly unknown Idaho and Montana landscapes. Her ability to interpret and her relation to the tribes helped the Expedition acquire horses and supplies from the Agaidika people to continue on their journey west when supplies and spirits were low.

Today the Salmon Field Office administers to many of the lands formerly occupied by the Agaidika. Salmon landmarks such as the Sacajawea Center, and birthplace monument honor her and her people’s contributions to American History. (Post on FB by Margaret Russ)

-------------------

Posted Sun. Aug. 18, 2024 on FB from North Carolina Public Radio

"This fall, Duke University will offer a new online Cherokee language course series.

It's open to all students, and will count toward a full language college credit to graduate. Courtney Lewis, the university’s inaugural director for the Native American Studies Initiative, said this will also be the first time that Duke students will get to learn an American Indian language.

“So, one of the first things that students are going to learn how to speak about is their feelings,” she said. “And, that tells us a lot about the Cherokee language and the Cherokee people, right off the bat. So, students are going to also learn about concepts like Gadugi and Duyuk’dv’i, which are two of the guiding life principles for the Anigaduwagi people.”

The new course will also recognize the intertwined history of Duke University and American Indian education. From 1882 to 1887, Trinity College — now known as Duke University — ran a federally funded Cherokee Industrial Indian Boarding School with 20 Eastern Band of Cherokee Indian children.

“They were forced into a school whose sole purpose was to kill the Indian and save the man, as the quote went,” said Lewis. “So, their hair was cut, and their clothes were changed. They now played in marching bands. And, most importantly, they were not allowed to speak their language.”

The new Cherokee Language class is a four-course series. It’s supported by the partnership for less commonly taught languages through the cultural anthropology department at Duke. Students at Vanderbilt University will join this year's fall class at Duke online. Lewis said in the future, she hopes the course can be offered in person.

Photo shared by Native Americans Facebook site

A copper earring unearthed by First Colony Foundation archaeologists at Roanoke Island’s Elizabethan Gardens was almost certainly traded – or gifted – to local Native Americans by Sir Walter Raleigh’s explorers, based on scientific tests released this week.

An analysis conducted by Madison Accelerator Laboratory at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va., found that copper used to make the ring was of European origin, rather than from a North American source. This is significant because neither the French nor the Spanish – England’s rivals in exploring and settling the “New World” — ventured as far north as Roanoke Island to trade.

“This is an amazing find – with an intriguing story to tell.” said Eric Klingelhofer, First Colony Foundation’s vice president for research, who led the Elizabethan Gardens dig. “After laying hidden in the ground for more than four centuries, this piece of copper now confirms that we have indeed located the site of Roanoac, the Algonquian village that welcomed the first English explorers in 1584.”

Published by Outer Banks Voice