Chief Joseph (March 3, 1840–September 21, 1904) was the chief of the Wal-lam-wat-kain (Wallowa) band of Nez Perce Indians during General Oliver O. Howard's attempt to forcibly remove his band and the other "non-treaty" Indians to a reservation in Idaho. For his principled resistance to the removal, he became renowned as a humanitarian and peacemaker. Chief Joseph (19th century photograph) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... March 3 is the 62nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (63rd in leap years). ... 1840 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (see link for calendar). ... is the 62nd day of the year (63rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1840 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (see link for calendar). ... The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view. ... The Nez Perce (IPA: ) are a tribe of Native Americans who live in the Pacific Northwest region (Columbia River Plateau) of the United States. ... Lieutenant General, General, General of the Army, General of the Air Force, and General of the Armies of the United States are high ranks in the United States military. ... Oliver Otis Howard (November 8, 1830 – October 26, 1909) was a career U.S. Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. ... Indian Removal was a nineteenth century policy of the government of the United States that sought to relocate Native American tribes living east of the Mississippi River to lands west of the river. ... A Band Society is the simplest form of human society. ... This article is about Native Americans. ... Official language(s) English [1] Capital Boise Largest city Boise Largest metro area Boise metropolitan area Area  Ranked 14th  - Total 83,642 sq mi (216,632 km²)  - Width 305 miles (491 km)  - Length 479 miles (771 km)  - % water 0. ... Humanitarianism is the view that all people should be treated with the respect and dignity they deserve as human beings, and that advancing the well-being of humanity is a noble goal. ... PeaceMaker is a 1997 self-released demo by Sonata Arctica (under the name Tricky Beans). ...

Background

Born Hinmuuttu-yalatlat (alternatively Hinmaton-Yalaktit or Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt, Nez Perce: "Thunder Rolling Down Mountain") in the Wallowa Valley of northeastern Oregon, he was known as Young Joseph during his youth because his father had the same name. Nez Perce (also spelled Nez Percé; pronounced as in French, or ) is a Sahaptian language related to the several dialects of Sahaptin (note the spellings, -ian vs. ... The Wallowa River is a tributary of the Grande Ronde River, approximately 30 miles (48 km) long, in northeastern Oregon in the United States. ... Official language(s) (none)[1] Capital Salem Largest city Portland Area  Ranked 9th  - Total 98,466 sq mi (255,026 km²)  - Width 260 miles (420 km)  - Length 360 miles (580 km)  - % water 2. ... Old Chief Joseph (~1785-1871), Tu-eka-kas, was an American Indian chief of the Wallowa Band of the Nez Perce and steadfast defender of his peoples right to live peacefully on their traditional lands in the Wallowa Valley, undisturbed by white settlers and soldiers. ...

While initially hospitable to the region's newcomers, Joseph the Elder grew wary when settlers became greedy for more Indian lands. Tensions grew as the settlers appropriated traditional Indian lands for farming and grazing livestock.

Isaac Stevens, governor of the Washington Territory, organized a council to designate separate areas for Natives and settlers in 1855. Joseph the Elder and the other Nez Perce chiefs signed a treaty with the United States establishing a Nez Perce reservation encompassing 7.7 million acres (31,000 km²) in present-day Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. The 1855 reservation maintained much of the traditional Nez Perce lands, including Joseph's Wallowa Valley. ^[1] Isaac Ingalls Stevens (March 25, 1818 - September 1, 1862) was the first governor of Washington Territory, and served as a brigadier general in the Union Army during the Civil War until his death at the Battle of Chantilly. ... This is a list of governors of the U.S. state of Washington. ... Categories: Historical stubs | Washington history | U.S. historical regions and territories ...

An influx of new settlers caused by a gold rush led the government to call a second council in 1863. Government commissioners asked the Nez Perce to accept a new, much smaller reservation of 780,000 acres (3,200 km²) centered around the village of Lapwai in Idaho, and excluding the Wallowa Valley. In exchange, they were promised financial rewards and schools and a hospital for the reservation. Head Chief Lawyer and one of his allied chiefs signed the treaty on behalf of the Nez Perce Nation, but Joseph the Elder and several other chiefs were opposed to selling their lands, and did not sign. ^[2] For other meanings, see Gold rush (disambiguation) A California Gold Rush handbill A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers into the area of a dramatic discovery of commercial quantities of gold. ... Lapwai is a city located in Nez Perce County, Idaho. ...

Their refusal to sign caused a rift between the "non-treaty" and "treaty" bands of Nez Perce. The "treaty" Nez Perce moved within the new Idaho reservation's boundaries, while the "non-treaty" Nez Perce remained on their lands. Joseph the Elder demarcated Wallowa land with a series of poles, proclaiming, "Inside this boundary all our people were born. It circles the graves of our fathers, and we will never give up these graves to any man."

As chief

An 1889 photograph of Chief Joseph speaking to ethnologist Alice Cunningham Fletcher and her interpreter James Stuart.

Joseph the Younger succeeded his father as chief in 1871. Before his death, the latter counseled his son: Image File history File links Alice_Fletcher2. ... Image File history File links Alice_Fletcher2. ... Ethnologyis a genre of cultural anthropology and| anthropological study, involving the systematic comparison of the beliefs and practices of different societies. ... Alice Cunningham Fletcher Alice Cunningham Fletcher (March 15, 1838, Havana, Cuba - April 6, 1923, Washington, D.C.) was an American ethnologist. ... It has been suggested that Interpreter (communication) be merged into this article or section. ...

"My son, my body is returning to my mother earth, and my spirit is going very soon to see the Great Spirit Chief. When I am gone, think of your country. You are the chief of these people. They look to you to guide them. Always remember that your father never sold his country. You must stop your ears whenever you are asked to sign a treaty selling your home. A few years more, and white men will be all around you. They have their eyes on this land. My son, never forget my dying words. This country holds your father's body. Never sell the bones of your father and your mother."

Chief Joseph commented "I clasped my father's hand and promised to do as he asked. A man who would not defend his father's grave is worse than a wild animal."

The non-treaty Nez Perce suffered many injustices at the hands of settlers and prospectors, but out of fear of reprisal from the militarily superior Americans, Joseph never allowed any violence against them, instead making many concessions to them in hopes of securing peace. Prospecting is the physical search for minerals, fossils, precious metals or mineral specimens, and is also known as fossicking. ...

In 1873, Chief Joseph negotiated with the federal government to ensure his people could stay on their land in the Wallowa Valley. But in 1877, the government reversed its policy, and Army General Oliver Howard threatened to attack if the Wallowa band did not relocate to the Idaho Reservation with the other Nez Perce. Chief Joseph reluctantly agreed. Portrait of Oliver O. Howard by Mathew Brady, ca. ...

Before the outbreak of hostilities, General Howard held a council to try to convince Joseph and his people to relocate. Joseph finished his address to the General, which focused on human equality, by expressing his "[disbelief that] the Great Spirit Chief gave one kind of men the right to tell another kind of men what they must do."

Howard reacted angrily, interpreting the statement as a challenge to his authority. When Chief Too-hul-hul-sote protested, he was jailed for five days.

The day following the council, Joseph, White Bird, and Looking Glass all accompanied General Howard to look at different areas. Howard offered them a plot of land that was inhabited by Whites and Indians, promising to clear them out. Joseph and his chieftains refused, adhering to their tribal tradition of not taking what did not belong to them. Chief White Bird was a Nez Percé war chief who, with Chief Joseph, directed the 1877 retreat from eastern Oregon into Montana and onward toward the Canadian border during the Nez Perce Wars. ... Looking Glass was a war leader of the Nez Perce Native American tribe. ...

Unable to find any suitable uninhabited land on the reservation, Howard informed Joseph that his people had thirty days to collect their livestock and move to the reservation. Joseph pleaded for more time, but Howard told him that he would consider their presence in the Wallowa Valley beyond the thirty-day mark an act of war. Sheep are commonly bred as livestock. ...

Returning home, Joseph called a council among his people. At the council, he spoke on behalf of peace, preferring to abandon his father's grave over war. Too-hul-hul-sote, insulted by his incarceration, advocated war.

The Wallowa band began making preparations for the long journey, meeting first with other bands at Rocky Canyon. At this council too, many leaders urged war, while Joseph argued in favor of peace.

While the council was underway, a young man whose father had been killed rode up and announced that he and several other young men had already killed four white men, an act sure to initiate war.

Still hoping to avoid further bloodshed, Joseph and other Nez Perce chiefs began leading his people north toward Canada.

Retreat and surrender

With 2000 U.S. soldiers in pursuit, Joseph and other Nez Perce chiefs led 800 Nez Perce toward freedom at the Canadian border. For over three months, the Nez Perce outmaneuvered and battled their pursuers traveling 1,700 miles (2,740 km) across Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. General Howard, leading the opposing cavalry, was impressed with the skill with which the Nez Perce fought, using advance and rear guards, skirmish lines, and field fortifications. Finally, after a devastating five-day battle during freezing weather conditions with no food or blankets, Chief Joseph formally surrendered to General Nelson Appleton Miles on October 5, 1877 in the Bear Paw Mountains of the Montana Territory, less than 40 miles (60 km) south of Canada in a place close to the present-day Chinook in Blaine County. The battle is remembered in popular history by the words attributed to Chief Joseph at the formal surrender: Official language(s) (none)[1] Capital Salem Largest city Portland Area  Ranked 9th  - Total 98,466 sq mi (255,026 km²)  - Width 260 miles (420 km)  - Length 360 miles (580 km)  - % water 2. ... For the capital city of the United States, see Washington, D.C.. For other uses, see Washington (disambiguation). ... Official language(s) English [1] Capital Boise Largest city Boise Largest metro area Boise metropolitan area Area  Ranked 14th  - Total 83,642 sq mi (216,632 km²)  - Width 305 miles (491 km)  - Length 479 miles (771 km)  - % water 0. ... Official language(s) English Capital Cheyenne Largest city Cheyenne Area  Ranked 10th  - Total 97,818 sq mi (253,348 km²)  - Width 280 miles (450 km)  - Length 360 miles (580 km)  - % water 0. ... Official language(s) English Capital Helena Largest city Billings Area  Ranked 4th  - Total 147,165 sq mi (381,156 km²)  - Width 255 miles (410 km)  - Length 630 miles (1,015 km)  - % water 1  - Latitude 44° 21′ N to 49° N  - Longitude 104° 2′ W to 116° 3′ W Population  Ranked... Balian of Ibelin surrendering the city of Jerusalem to Saladin, from Les Passages faits Outremer par les Français contre les Turcs et autres Sarrasins et Maures outremarins, ca. ... Nelson Appleton Miles (August 8, 1839 – May 15, 1925) was an American soldier who served in the American Civil War, Indian Wars, and the Spanish-American War. ... For other uses, see 5th October (Serbia). ... 1877 (MDCCCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The Bear Paw Mountains (aka The Bears Paw Mountains) are a small island-mountain range in North-Central Montana, USA, located approximately 10 miles South of Havre. ... The Montana Territory was an organized territory of the United States that existed between 1864 and 1889. ... Chinook is a city located in Blaine County, Montana. ... Blaine County is the name of several counties in the United States: Blaine County, Idaho Blaine County, Montana Blaine County, Nebraska Blaine County, Oklahoma This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

"Tell General Howard I know his heart. What he told me before, I have it in my heart. I am tired of fighting. Our chiefs are killed; Looking Glass is dead, Too-hul-hul-sote is dead. The old men are all dead. It is the young men who say yes or no. He who led on the young men is dead. It is cold, and we have no blankets; the little children are freezing to death. My people, some of them, have run away to the hills, and have no blankets, no food. No one knows where they are—perhaps freezing to death. I want to have time to look for my children, and see how many of them I can find. Maybe I shall find them among the dead. Hear me, my chiefs! I am tired; my heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever."

The popular legend deflated, however, when the original pencil draft of the report was revealed to show the handwriting of the later poet and lawyer Lieutenant Charles Erskine Scott Wood, who claimed to have taken down the great chief's words on the spot. In the margin it read, "Here insert Joseph's reply to the demand for surrender" ^[3][4] Although Joseph was not technically a warchief, and probably did not command the retreat, many of the chiefs who did had already died. His speech brought attention, and therefore credit, his way. He earned the praise of General William Tecumseh Sherman, and became known in the press as "the Red Napoleon". Charles Erskine Scott Wood (b. ... “General Sherman” redirects here. ... Napoléon I, Emperor of the French (born Napoleone di Buonaparte, changed his name to Napoléon Bonaparte)[1] (15 August 1769; Ajaccio, Corsica – 5 May 1821; Saint Helena) was a general during the French Revolution, the ruler of France as First Consul (Premier Consul) of the French Republic from...

Aftermath

Joseph's fame did him little good. By the time Joseph surrendered, more than 200 of his followers had died. His plight, however, did not end. Although he had negotiated a safe return home for his people, they were instead taken to eastern Kansas and then to a reservation in the Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) where many of them died of epidemic diseases. Official language(s) English[2] Capital Topeka Largest city Wichita Area  Ranked 15th  - Total 82,277 sq mi (213,096 km²)  - Width 211 miles (340 km)  - Length 417 miles (645 km)  - % water 0. ... Indian Territory in 1836 Indian Country redirects here. ... For other uses, see Oklahoma (disambiguation). ...

In 1879, Chief Joseph went to Washington, D.C. to meet with President Rutherford B. Hayes and plead the case of his people. Finally, in 1885, Chief Joseph and his followers were allowed to return to the Pacific Northwest, although many, including Chief Joseph, were taken to the Colville Indian Reservation, far from both the rest of their people in Idaho and their homeland in the Wallowa Valley. For other uses, see Washington, D.C. (disambiguation). ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ... Rutherford Birchard Hayes (October 4, 1822 – January 17, 1893) was an American politician, lawyer, military leader and the nineteenth President of the United States (1877–1881). ... The Colville Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation in eastern Washington State, inhabited and managed by Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, which is recognized by the United States of America as an American Indian Tribe. ...

Joseph continued to lead his band of Wallowa for another 25 years, at times coming into conflict with the leaders of 11 other tribes living on the reservation. Chief Moses of the Sinkiuse-Columbia in particular resented having to cede a portion of his people's lands to Joseph's people, who had "made war on the Great Father." Chief Moses Chief Moses (born Kwiltalahun, later called Sulk-stalk-scosum - The Sun Chief) (c. ... The Sinkiuse-Columbia were a Native American tribe so called because of their former prominent association with the Columbia River. ...

In general, however, the relocated Nez Perce made few enemies in their new home, and even kept friendly relations with their white neighbors.

In his last years, Joseph spoke eloquently against the injustice of United States policy toward his people and held out the hope that America's promise of freedom and equality might one day be fulfilled for Native Americans as well. An indomitable voice of conscience for the West, he died in 1904, still in exile from his homeland, according to his doctor "of a broken heart."

Helen Hunt Jackson recorded one early Oregon settler's tale of his encounter with Chief Joseph in her 1902 Glimpses of California and the Missions: Helen Maria Hunt Jackson (October 18, 1831-August 12, 1885) was an American writer. ...

"Why I got lost once, an' I came right on [Chief Joseph's] camp before I knowed it . . . 't was night, 'n' I was kind o' creepin' along cautious, an' the first thing I knew there was an Injun had me on each side, an' they jest marched me up to Jo's tent, to know what they should do with me ... Well; 'n' they gave me all I could eat, 'n' a guide to show me my way, next day, 'n' I could n't make Jo nor any of 'em take one cent. I had a kind o' comforter o' red yarn, I wore round my neck; an' at last I got Jo to take that, jest as a kind o' momento."^[5]

The Chief Joseph band of Nez Perce Indians, who still live on the Colville Reservation, bear his name in tribute to their prestigious leader. Chief Joseph died in September of 1904 and was buried in Nespelem, Washington the site where many of his tribe's members still live. Nespelem is a town located in Okanogan County, Washington. ...

Depiction in popular culture

• Chief Joseph was portrayed in a few series television episodes and feature films. Notable among the latter is I Will Fight No More Forever, a 1975 historical drama starring Ned Romero.
• Folksinger/songwriter Fred Small's song "Heart of the Appaloosa" tells of the struggle of the Nez Perce and Chief Joseph during their flight from the cavalry. The song portrays the tribe's relationship with the Appaloosa, a breed they had bred, as integral to their success in eluding the cavalry, and claims that the general who finally figured this out ordered his man to "kill the Appaloosa wherever it be found." According to the song, the death of so many Appaloosa was the blow that forced the tribe to surrender.
• Chief Joseph is featured as an anamatronic actor in the Epcot attraction "The American Adventure" at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
• Chief Joseph's speech provides the subject matter and is quoted in reggae/punk outfit State Radio's song "Fight No More"
• The saga of Chief Joseph and his people is depicted in the 1982 poem "Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce" by Robert Penn Warren
• The words of Chief Joseph are spoken at the beginning of the song "Words of Fire, Deeds of Blood" by Robbie Robertson.

Ned Romero (born 1925 in Franklin, Louisiana) is an American actor who has appeared in television and film. ... Frederick Emerson Small (November 6, 1952), known publicly as Fred Small, is an American singer-songwriter. ... An Appaloosa horse The Appaloosa is a horse breed with a color preference. ... This article is about the Epcot theme park. ... Cinderella Castle, at the center of the Magic Kingdom, is Walt Disney World Resorts most recognizable icon Introduction Owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company, the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, USA is home to four theme parks, two water parks, several resort hotels and golf courses... Nickname: Location in Orange County and the state of Florida Coordinates: , Country State Counties Orange Government  - Mayor Buddy Dyer (D) Area  - City 101 sq mi (261. ... State Radio is a rock band formed by former Dispatch member Chad Urmston in 2002 after Dispatch announced their indefinite hiatus (after about two years on hiatus, the band announced a break-up and a final show). ... Robert Penn Warren Robert Penn Warren (April 24, 1905 – September 15, 1989) was an American poet, novelist, and literary critic, and was one of the founders of The New Criticism. ... Robbie Robertson (born Jaime Robert Robertson, 5 July 1943, Toronto, Ontario, Canada) is a songwriter, guitarist and singer, best known for his membership in The Band. ...

Namesakes

Chief Joseph has been honored with several namesakes:

• Chief Joseph Dam on the Columbia River in Washington
• Joseph, Oregon
• Chief Joseph Pass in Montana
• Chief Joseph Scenic Byway in Wyoming

Chief Joseph Dam is a 5,962 foot (1,817. ... The Columbia River (French: fleuve Columbia) is a river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. ... Joseph is a city located in Wallowa County, Oregon. ... Chief Joseph Pass (el. ... Sunlight Bridge over Sunlight Creek on Chief Joseph Scenic Highway Chief Joseph Scenic Highway is in the U.S. state of Wyoming and follows the route taken by Chief Joseph as he led the Nez Perce Indians out of Yellowstone National Park and into Montana in 1877 during their attempt...

Notes

• Chief Joseph. Chief Joseph's Own Story. Originally published in the North American Review, April 1879.

Helen Maria Hunt Jackson (October 18, 1831-August 12, 1885) was an American writer. ... First issue of the North American Review with signature of its editor William Tudor (1779-1830). ...

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Chief Joseph

• U.S. Treasury
• U.S. Library of Congress Today in History: October 5
• Friends of the Bear Paw, Big Hole & Canyon Creek Battlefields
• PBS biography