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. Sacagawea and Cameahwait had not seen one another since their hunting camp near the Three Forks was attacked by Minitare (Hidatsa) warriors in about the year 1800. She and her sister, along with some other females and four boys, were captured by Hidatsa warriors and carried off to their village on the Missouri River near the mouth of the Knife in today's North Dakota. On 28 July 1805 the Corps of Discovery camped on the exact spot where that attack took place. 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. The scene is inside the leather lodge Lewis purchased from Toussaint Charbonneau at Fort Mandan. Nightly from early April until mid-November, 1805, it sheltered the two captains and Clark's servant, York, interpreters George Drouillard and Toussaint Charbonneau, Toussaint's wife Sacagawea, and Jean Baptiste. The proud young Sacagawea smiles broadly as if to tease little Jean Baptiste into responding similarly toward his uncle. Cameahwait seems to be speaking softly to the 6-month-old baby. William Clark described the chief as 'a man of 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. 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 later gifted this tippet to Meriwether Lewis.
