HERO OR VILLAIN?
In conclusion, we believe that in the long run Sacajawea was a villain but in the short run, she was a hero. She was a very brave and strong-willed woman who put in a massive effort to help Lewis and Clark, if they didn't have Sacajawea, they might now have finished the exploration. It led Americans to the west and give people more information about the west. But so many native American Indians were affected by this they were tortured and still are today. Even though Sacajawea never would have thought any of this could happen, people were greatly affected, and now native American Indians are one of the most oppressed groups in the U.S.
HERO:
Sacajawea proved valuable as a valued interpreter and peacemaker in the expedition's meetings with new tribes, who were ready to defend their land.
A hero should possess bravery and selflessness, and otherwise be an inspiration to people. Bravery is doing something even if it scares you, and selflessness is doing something for the benefit of someone else, even if it doesn't benefit you. Sacagawea is a hero because, throughout her life and the Lewis and Clark expedition, she has shown exceptional bravery and selflessness.
Throughout her life, Sacagawea faced many hardships, including being captured by a Hidatsas. Her bravery is what lead her through these rings of fire and made her the person she was.
Sacagawea was a selfless person. There are many ways she's proved this, doing things she didn't need to just to benefit others is one. Sacagawea was the only women to join the Lewis and Clark expedition, and she came along as a guide and an interpreter
Spread around her entire life were many obstacles that proved her bravery, and she showed herself to be selfless, doing things for other's benefits. When she was young, she was captured by a Hidatsa raiding party and sold to be a wife. Later she joined a dangerous expedition, accompanying Lewis and Clark's trek to scope out new land. She went through many hardships and took many risks, and in the end, got nothing.
VILLAIN
Although there are many reasons to believe that Sacajawea is a hero, there are lots to back up that she is a villain.
Sacajawea might not have even gone exploring with Lewis and Clark; they have no way to prove if she did or if she didn't, it was such a long time ago they have no proof.
They just have a few preserved papers and stories passed on from generation to generation. Many sources say that she never even stepped foot in Wyoming.
If she did help the western explorers she would have opened up the west to white people who soon decided to segregate, hurt, and sometimes even kill native American Indians.
After they explored and realized that the land was beautiful and open the easterners wanted to move there and invade the native Americans' territory, they decided they hated the Native Americans living there. They were treated like animals, put in reservations with no space to live.
American Indians born today have a life expectancy that is 5.5 years less than all the U.S races. They don't have proper jobs because people discriminate against them so they cannot afford food or healthcare. Native Americans were and still are suffering from short life expectancy, disease, malnutrition, a diminishing land base, and a poorly developed and unrealistic school system mostly because Sacajawea helped the whites invade the American west.
