Chief Joseph

(In mut too yah lat lat )

1840–1904

CHIEF JOSEPH

Chief Joseph was born In-mut-too-yah-lat-lat, a Nez Perce name meaning "Thunder Rolling Down the Mountain," but he was known as Young Joseph after his father’s Christian name. During Joseph’s youth, his tribe faced many difficulties with the U.S. government, primarily concerning the amount of land given to natives and settlers. In 1855, several chiefs, including Joseph’s father, signed a treaty granting the Nez Perce 7.7 million acres of land in the Northwest, but only eight years later a new treaty was written up, one that designated only 780,000 acres for Indian use. The elder Joseph, along with many others, refused to sign. This refusal led to a rift between those who had agreed to the treaty and those who had not, with one division of the Nez Perce moving into reservation boundaries and the other remaining in the tribe’s traditional land in the Wallowa Valley.

Joseph succeeded his father as chief in 1871. The non-treaty Nez Perce were treated unjustly by settlers and prospectors alike, but their new leader would not allow any violence from his people, instead pursuing peaceful negotiations with the U.S. government. He was at first allowed to remain in the Wallowa Valley, but in 1877 the policy was reversed and General Oliver Howard threatened to attack unless Joseph relocated to the Idaho Reservation with the rest of the Nez Perce. Defeated, the chief agreed to these terms. The tribe was given thirty days to move their belongings inside the reservation; after that time, any remaining Indians would be considered hostile. Joseph held several councils before they began their journey, always encouraging peace in face of bloodshed. Just as he was leaving however, he learned of an attack on four white men, an act sure to initiate war.

Pursued by 2,000 soldiers, Joseph led 800 Nez Perce northward toward their allies, the Crows, hoping for assistance. The Crows, however, betrayed them in favor of the American Army, and the Nez Perce instead turned toward the Canadian border in hopes of freedom. The tribe travelled 1,600 miles, constantly keeping back their enemies, before they were finally forced to surrender after a devastating five-day battle. By this time, over 200 of his followers had died, and those remaining were shipped to Kansas to be held for eight months in a prisoner-of-war camp. After their release, they were taken to a reservation in present-day Oklahoma, where those who did not fall subject to deadly diseases remained for six years. Finally, after Joseph’s pleas reached President Hayes, the Nez Perce were returned to the Pacific Northwest. Chief Joseph continued to lead the Wallowa Valley tribe until his death in 1904.

Key events during the life of Chief Joseph:

Year	Event
1840	Born.
1855	Nez Perce chiefs signed a treaty allowing them 7.7 million acres of land in Idaho, Washington, and Oregon.
1863	U.S. Gov’t proposed a new treaty that granted the Nez Perce 780,000 acres, as well as financial aid, schools, and hospitals.
1871	Succeeded his father as chief.
1873	Negotiated with the U.S. Gov’t to ensure his people would remain on traditional land in the Wallowa Valley.
1877	Forced to relocate to the Idaho Reservation but tried instead to escape to Canada.
	Surrendered to the U.S. Army.
	Sent to Kansas to be held in a prisoner-of-war camp.
1879	Taken to a reservation in Oklahoma.
	Went to Washington, D.C. to plead the case of his people.
1885	Nez Perce were allowed to return to the Northwest.
1904	Died.

Image Links
Joseph, the Nez Perce Warrior  in Indian History for Young Folks	Chief Joseph in full costume  in Famous Indian Chiefs I Have Known	A portrait of Chief Joseph on birch bark  in Famous Indian Chiefs I Have Known
General Howard and his good friend, Chief Joseph  in Famous Indian Chiefs I Have Known	Chief Joseph  in Boy's Book of Indian Warriors

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