Chief Joseph
India- Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce
- Early Life
- Reservation Treaties
- Government Pressure and Conflict
- Leadership and Military Conflict
- Flight to Canada and Surrender
- Later Life and Legacy
Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce
Chief Joseph was a leader of the Nez Perce tribe who resisted the United States government's forced removal of his people to a reservation in Idaho. Despite his initial opposition to the move, Chief Joseph became known as an advocate for peaceful resolution of the conflict between Native American tribes and the American government.
Early Life
Born on March 3, 1840, in the Wallowa Valley, Joseph was named Hinmaton-Yalaktit, meaning "thunder rolling over the mountains." As a young man, he was known to his fellow tribesmen as Joseph, Jr., as his father had converted to Christianity and adopted the name Joseph the Elder. Although Joseph the Elder was initially hospitable to white settlers in the region, the increasing demand for land by American settlers caused him great concern.
Reservation Treaties
Tensions escalated when settlers began claiming traditional Native American lands for farming and grazing. In 1855, Isaac Stevens, governor of Washington Territory, organized a council to establish boundaries between Native American territory and settler settlements. Joseph the Elder and other Nez Perce leaders signed a treaty with the United States creating a 7,700-square-mile Nez Perce reservation in present-day Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. The boundaries of the 1855 reservation included much of the tribe's traditional lands, including the Wallowa Valley where Joseph resided.
Government Pressure and Conflict
A second council was convened in 1863 due to continued encroachment by settlers attracted by the gold rush. Government commissioners asked the Nez Perce to accept a new, significantly smaller reservation of 780,000 acres around the village of Lapwai in Idaho. They promised compensation and the establishment of schools and hospitals on the reservation. While the head chief signed the treaty on behalf of the tribe, Joseph the Elder and other leaders refused to sign, adamant about not selling their land. This disagreement led to conflict between the "treaty" and "non-treaty" factions of the Nez Perce. The treaty signatories relocated to Idaho, while the non-signatories remained on their original lands, with Joseph the Elder vowing never to leave the Wallowa Valley, the site of their ancestral burial grounds.
Leadership and Military Conflict
In 1871, after his father's death, Joseph, Jr. inherited the role of chief. While miners and settlers continued to encroach on the remaining Native American lands, Chief Joseph recognized the overwhelming military power of the Americans and sought to negotiate and avoid violence. In 1873, he engaged in talks with the government, hoping to keep the Wallowa Valley in Nez Perce hands. However, in 1877, the government abruptly shifted policy, and General Oliver Howard was ordered to forcibly remove Nez Perce bands from the Wallowa Valley and relocate them to the reservation in Idaho.
Chief Joseph reluctantly agreed and, escorted by General Howard and other chiefs, set out to find suitable land on the reservation. However, no suitable land was found. Joseph requested more time, but General Howard imposed a 30-day deadline for the Nez Perce to gather their cattle and relocate to the reservation, threatening military action if they refused.
Flight to Canada and Surrender
In a council of the tribe, Joseph urged his people to leave peacefully, though some chiefs advocated for war. The Wallowa Valley band began preparations for a long journey, and in the hope of avoiding bloodshed, Joseph led his followers northward toward Canada. They were pursued by over 2,000 U.S. soldiers. For more than three months, the Nez Perce outmaneuvered their pursuers, traveling over 1,600 miles through Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. However, freezing October temperatures and a devastating five-day battle forced the Nez Perce to surrender on October 5, 1877, just 40 miles south of the Canadian border.
Later Life and Legacy
The surviving Nez Perce were ultimately relocated to the reservation, and many died from diseases. Chief Joseph continued to lead his people for another 27 years, tirelessly advocating for Native American rights. He was often referred to as "the implacable voice of conscience." Joseph died on September 21, 1904, at the age of 64, with his doctor stating that he had "died of a broken heart."
