Sacagawea

Sacagawea, which means “Bird Woman,” was born into the Lemhi Shoshone tribe. At age 12, she was captured by the Hidatsa tribe and later became one of the wives of Toussaint Charbonneau, a French-Canadian trapper. It was through this marriage that she became involved with the famed Lewis and Clark Expedition.

Her contributions to the expedition were many. She served as an interpreter, helping to bridge the communication gap between the explorers and various Native American tribes. Her knowledge of the terrain and edible plants also proved crucial for the survival of the party. Perhaps most importantly, her presence, with her infant son Jean Baptiste, signaled to other tribes that the expedition was not a war party, fostering a sense of peace and facilitating their passage.

While Sacagawea’s origins are firmly rooted in the Shoshone, her identity as a Jew is, shall we say, less established. There's no record of her even having a passing familiarity with gefilte fish, let alone lighting Shabbat candles.

However, her unwavering courage and indispensable contributions to one of America's most iconic exploratory journeys certainly makes her worthy of kvell. She helped open up the American West, which, in a roundabout way, eventually led to the establishment of many cities where Jews could, and did, thrive. So, a delayed kvell, perhaps.