Anncr:
People in America — a program in Special English by the Voice ofAmerica. Every week at this time, we tell the story of a man or awoman who played an important part in the history of the UnitedStates. Today, Larry West and Warren Scheer complete the story ofChief Joseph of the Nez Perce Indians.
(Theme)
Voice 1:
In eighteen seventy-seven, the American government decided tomove the Nez Perce Indians from their land in the northwestern partof the country.
The government had set up a reservation for them in Idaho.
Chief Joseph did not want to leave the land. It was holy ground.It contained the bones of his father and mother.
But, like his father in earlier times, Chief Joseph knew it wouldbe hopeless to stay and defend the land. There were too few Indiansto win a war against the white men.
And so in June of eighteen seventy-seven, the Nez Perce lefttheir home in the Wallowa Valley. They left quickly. They were ableto take only a small part of what they owned, and just a few cattleand Appaloosa horses.
Voice 2:
When the Indians reached the Snake River, the water was very deepand ran very fast with melted snow from the mountains. Chief Josephand his people made boats from sticks and dried animal skins tocross the river.
While the Indians were busy, a group of white men came and stolesome of the cattle waiting at the edge of the river.
The other chiefs demanded that Joseph call a meeting. Two of thechiefs, White Bird and Toohoolhoolzote, spoke for war.
But Joseph said, “it is better to live at peace than to begin awar and lie dead. “
Voice 1:
Some of the young men in White Bird’s group were very angry. Thatnight, they rode into the countryside and killed eleven whitepersons.
During all his years as chief, Joseph had tried to keep thepeace. Now he saw there was no hope. Although he and his young menhad taken no part in the killings, he knew that the white men wouldblame all of the Indians. Chief Joseph said, “I would have given myown life if I could have undone the killing of the white men. “
Many Nez Perce fled. Chief Joseph remained, because his wife wasabout to have a baby. After she gave birth, he and his brother andtheir families joined the others in White Bird Canyon to the south.
Voice 2:
Joseph wanted to lead the people to safety in the flat lands ofMontana. But the United States Army quickly sent horse soldiers tofollow them.
The troops rode all night. They were extremely tired when theyreached White Bird Canyon. An Indian — carrying a white flag –walked forward to meet them. A soldier shot him.
With that shot, war between theNez Perce and the United States began.
Voice 1:
The young Nez Perce men were skilled with their guns. They knewthe land. And they were calm in battle. The army officers did notknow the land. And they were not wise. When the soldiers attacked,they fired on Indian women and children.
The two sides fought hard. The soldiers could not defeat theIndians.
Joseph, White Bird and Toohoolhoolzote led their people acrossthe mountains to join another Nez Perce group led by Chief LookingGlass. Together, the Nez Perce forces then numbered more thantwo-hundred-fifty warriors.
The chiefs met. They knew they could not return home. Theydecided to lead their people to Canada. And so they headed north,always keeping their horses in front of them. The chiefs believedthe soldiers would not follow them again.
Voice 2:
The chiefs did not know, however, that army officials inWashington were discussing the situation. The officials did notunderstand why the United States Army could not capture severalhundred Indians.
So they decided to send General William Tecumseh Sherman — ahero of the Civil War — to find out.
The Indians continued to move toward Canada, battling groups ofsoldiers along the way.
When the Indians reached the great Yellowstone Park, GeneralSherman himself was waiting for them. His troops closed every roadout of the park. But Joseph, with his people and their horses,escaped through the trees.
Voice 1:
General Sherman sent word by telegraph to other army commandersalong the Indians’ way north. At one place in the mountains, theIndians found a group of soldiers building a wall across the onlyroad.
Joseph, White Bird and Looking Glass rode down to the wall andspoke to the officers. The chiefs told them: “We are going by youwithout fighting if you will let us. But we are going by you anyhow.”
The soldiers would not let the Indians pass. Fighting broke out.And, again, the Indian warriors defeated the white soldiers.
Joseph was not a military man. In fact, before the war againstthe American army, Joseph had never been in battle. But heunderstood human nature. He understood his enemy. And he was able tounite his warriors and his people.
Voice 2:
Many weeks after the Nez Perce had left their home lands, theyreached the Bear Paw Mountains. They were only eighty kilometersfrom Canada. The Nez Perce were close to their goal. But safety wasnot yet in sight.
Six-hundred army troops, under the command of General NelsonMiles, were waiting at Bear Paw.
The soldiers attacked two times on the first day. They werebeaten back two times. Joseph’s brother was killed in the fighting,as well as Toohoolhoolzote and some of the other chiefs.
After the long March and so many battles, only eighty-sevenwarriors remained. Many of the women and children were wounded orsick. Most of the horses were dead.
The weather turned cold in the mountains. The wind blew, and itbegan to snow.
General Miles sent a message to Chief Joseph. He said: “If youwill come out and give up your arms, I will not harm you, and willsend you to the reservation. “
Voice 1:
Chief Joseph would not give up. The battle continued. On thefourth day, chief looking glass was hit by a bullet and died. On thefifth day, Chief Joseph rode out — alone — to the snowybattlefield. He surrendered. He said:
“I am tired of fighting. Our chiefs are killed. It is cold, andwe have no blankets. Some of my people have run away to the hills.No one knows where they are. I want to have time to look for mychildren. Hear me, my chiefs! my heart is sick and sad. From wherethe sun now stands … I will fight no more forever. “
Voice 2:
Two days after Chief Joseph surrendered, the government orderedhim and his people far away.
First, they went to an army base in Kansas. Then they went to anempty piece of land in Oklahoma. Within a year, almost half thepeople died. Joseph buried all of his children.
Years later, Chief Joseph and his people were permitted to returnto the Northwest. But they were not permitted to return home.
Joseph spoke to American officials. Nothing changed. He couldnever go back to the holy ground that held the bones of his fatherand mother. He lived in the Northwest — in exile — untilSeptember, nineteen-oh-four, when he died.
Voice 1:
Chief Joseph’s words expressed the ideas of justice and civilrights … even though he lived in a time when he could not havethose rights himself. He said:
“Treat all men alike. Give them all the same law. Give them allan even chance to live and grow. The earth is the mother of allpeople. And all people should have equal rights upon it. Then thegreat spirit chief who rules above will smile upon this land, andsend rain to wash out the bloody spots made by brothers’ hands uponthe face of the earth. “
(Theme)
Anncr:
You have been listening to the VOA Special English program,People in America, and its story of Chief Joseph of the Nez PerceIndians. You narrators were Larry West and Warren Scheer. Ourprogram was written by Barbara Dash.