One of the most significant individuals the Corps encountered on their trek was the Shoshone chief Cameahwait. After searching for days in the mountains Lewis and his small party of men finally made contact with the Shoshone and tried to convince them of their peaceful intentions. Wary, but willing to help, Cameahwait and his men traveled with Lewis to meet with Clark and the rest of the expedition. At the meeting Sacagawea came forward to translate and, to everyone’s astonishment, recognized Cameahwait as her brother. She had not seen her family since her capture by the Hidatsa years before. She was to learn that most of her family was dead and that Cameahwait was in mourning. The Shoshone went on to provide food, a guide named Old Toby and horses for the difficult passage over the mountains. William Clark described the chief as 'a man 'f influence, sense & easy & reserved manners, appears to possess a great deal of sincerity.” The Shoshone were near starvation and Lewis described Cameahwait as having 'fierce eyes and lank jaws grown meager for the want of food'. His hair was cut short as a sign of mourning. Around his neck in this painting is a necklace of plaited sweetgrass. He has on a quilled war shirt under a buffalo robe. Over all is a beautiful 'tippet' made of otter skin trimmed with ermines and decorated with pieces of abalone shell. Cameahwait gifted this tippet to Meriwether Lewis who wore it in a portrait that was painted after the expedition. In his hand Cameahwait is holding the small pipe of green stone that was ceremonially smoked with the men of the expedition.
