LITTLE "POMP": GROWING
UP ON THE TRAIL
THEME
Toussaint Charbonneau was hired as an interpreter for the Lewis
and Clark expedition at the Mandan villages in North Dakota. He
was allowed to bring along his young wife, Sacagawea, and their
infant son, Jean Baptiste or Pomp, as Captain Clark called him.
Pomp had to be carried most of the way, probably on a traditional
Shoshone cradleboard. When Pomp grew up, he continued to have exciting
adventures.
GOALS
- To demonstrate how Jean Baptiste traveled on his mother's back.
- To connect past and present by comparing childhood customs of
the Shoshone and Hidatsa Indians with those of children today.
- To acquaint students with the Lewis and Clark journals by reading
or telling stories about Pomp from the journals.
- To inform students about the exciting things that happened to
Pomp later in his life.
OBJECTIVES
When the lesson is completed, students will be able to:
- Compare and contrast how Indian mothers carried their babies
on cradleboards with how their own mothers carried them when they
were babies.
- Give two reasons why cradleboards helped Indian mothers care
for their children.
- Retell a short story about Jean Baptiste from the Lewis and
Clark journals.
- Describe one of the things Jean Baptiste did when he grew up.
ADVANCE PREPARATION
- 1. Preview the contents and teachings aids for this unit by
clicking on the following capitalized titles: The INTRODUCTION
provides an overview of the unit's contents and organization.
The SYNOPSIS of the Lewis and Clark
Expedition briefly sums up the historical background on which
this lesson plan (LITTLE "POMP": GROWING UP ON THE TRAIL)
is based. Little "Pomp" was the infant son of Sacagawea
and her husband, Toussaint Charbonneau who served as interpreters
on the expedition. "Pomp" (Jean Baptiste) literally
grew up on the trail. His mother carried him on her back, probably
on a cradleboard. Students are introduced to this America Indian
custom by making a paper CRADLEBOARD
AND BABY. An exciting story involving Pomp is accessible by
clicking on JOURNAL EXCERPTS "B."
Be sure to look over the supplemental materials also. For suggestions
about choosing Lewis and Clark resources, click on LEWIS
AND CLARK RESOURCE MATERIALS. For additional information,
see TEACHING AIDS "B".
The GLOSSARY
AND PRONUNCIATION GUIDE provides assistance with names and
terms associated with the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Finally,
the EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS AND MULTIPLE-INTELLIGENCES
CHARTS A, B, C, D list specific educational standards and
multiple-intelligences goals fulfilled by this unit.
- Before beginning the lesson, refresh your memory about the Lewis
and Clark Expedition by reading the brief SYNOPSIS.
Discuss the information with the class.
- Find pictures of cradleboards to show the children. For sources,
click on TEACHING AIDS "B"
and scroll to "Cradleboard Pictures."
IMPLEMENTATION
Story Background
Many Indian people lived along the trail where Lewis and Clark traveled.
Lewis and Clark did not understand the languages spoken by Indian
people, so they asked a French-Canadian interpreter and his Shoshone
Indian wife, Sacagawea, to go with them. The couple had a baby boy
named Jean Baptiste whom they took along on the trip. Captain Clark
gave him a nickname. He called him Pomp. Of course, Pomp was too
young to walk so he had to be carried.
Class Discussion (Lead students in a discussion of the ways in
which their mothers took them places when they were babies, or how
their little brothers and sisters travel today--back packs, strollers,
car seats, etc. If there are children from different ethnic groups
in the class, invite them to tell of their family customs. Then
let students speculate on how Jean Baptiste traveled.)
Since this happened so long ago, no one knows exactly how Sacagawea
carried her baby, but she probably used a cradleboard--just as many
other Indian mothers did. There were many different kinds of cradleboards,
but they all looked something like this. (Show downloaded picture
and/or pictures from books. For additional data about cradleboards,
see BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT CRADLEBOARDS at the end of this
lesson plan.)
How Pomp's Cradleboard was Lost in a Storm
Captain Clark wrote an exciting story in his journal about how Pomp's
baby carrier got lost in a storm. Early one morning, Pomp, his parents,
and Captain Clark were walking beside a big river. Suddenly, it
began to rain very hard and the wind began to blow. Captain Clark
quickly led everyone to a sheltered place where he thought they
would be safe. But the water from the rain began to rise inside
their hiding place. To keep from drowning, they had to run to higher
ground very quickly.
Toussaint Charbonneau, Sacagawea's husband, was very frightened
and ran ahead. Sacagawea couldn't go very fast because she was carrying
Pomp in her arms. Finally her husband stopped and grabbed her hand
while Captain Clark pushed her from behind. When they got back to
camp, they were wet and cold, but everyone was safe. The next day
Captain Clark wrote in his journal that Pomp's clothing and baby
carrier had been swept away by the flood. (For the original journal
excerpt click on JOURNAL ENTRIES "B".)
Whether a new carrier was made for Pomp is not known, but in all
likelihood, another one was quickly fashioned from wood and soft
leather.
CONCLUSION
Pomp was eighteen months old when he and his parents returned home
after the long journey with Lewis and Clark. He lived with his parents
in their Indian village until he was six years old. Then his father
brought him to St. Louis where he stayed with Captain Clark while
going to school.
When Pomp grew up, he was called by his grown-up name of Jean Baptiste.
He became a wilderness guide like his mother and father. One day
he was hired to guide a young prince from a far away country on
a hunting trip. Jean Baptiste and the prince became good friends.
When the prince returned to his home in Europe, Jean Baptiste went
with him. He stayed there for several years and learned to speak
many different languages.
When Jean Baptiste returned to America, he traveled to California
to look for gold. He did not find any. However, when gold was discovered
in Idaho, he decided to travel there. Unfortunately, he became seriously
ill during the journey and died before reaching Idaho. He was sixty-one
years old and had lived a full and exciting life.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT CRADLEBOARDS
Women of many Indian nations used cradleboards to carry their babies.
Design, shape, and decorations differed according the kinds of natural
materials that were available. In addition, tribal customs played
a major part in cradleboard design. Nevertheless, there was a general
plan that underlay all cradleboard models as follows:
- A stiff backing or frame to lie flat against the woman's back.
The materials used were rawhide (untanned leather), strips of
wood, branches, or woven reeds. This rigid framework also made
it possible to stand the cradleboard against a rock or tree while
the mother was working at her tasks.
- A bag for the baby attached to the frame. It was usually made
from tanned leather, split down the middle, and laced up with
leather thongs after the baby was placed inside. The baby itself
would be swaddled in a protective covering.
- Some type of protective covering for the baby's head. Some cradleboards
had a circular attachment at the top of the board that looked
somewhat like an awning. Others had a stiff bar that prevented
injury to the baby's head if the cradleboard fell to the ground.
On many cradleboards, the leather bag into which the baby was
placed had a protective hood attached to it.
- Attachment to the body: Straps were used to attach the cradleboard
to the mother's back. Sometimes cradleboards were carried by a
"tump line," a strap that fitted across the head of
the carrier.
- Decorations: Often cradleboards were elaborately decorated with
dyed porcupine quills, colored glass beads (after traders came),
and various other ornamentation.
FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITY
Click on CRADLEBOARD AND BABY
for directions to make a paper-craft model.
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