Chief Joseph
Chief Joseph
Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt, Hinmatóowyalahtq̓it in Americanist orthography, popularly known as Chief Joseph or Young Joseph, succeeded his father Tuekakasas the leader of the Wal-lam-wat-kainband of Nez Perce, a Native American tribe indigenous to the Wallowa Valley in northeastern Oregon, in the interior Pacific Northwest region of the United States...
ProfessionWar Hero
Date of Birth3 March 1840
CityWallowa River, OR
father men white-man
My father was the first to see through the schemes of the white man.
father animal men
A man who would not love his father's grave is worse than a wild animal.
father native-american law
Our fathers gave us many laws which they had learned from their fathers. These laws were good.
fathers-day father eye
My father... had sharper eyes than the rest of our people.
dad father hands
I pressed my father's hand and told him I would protect his grave with my life. My father smiled and passed away to the spirit land.
mother children father
I am ready to talk today. I have been in a great many councils, but I am no wiser. We are all sprung from a woman, although we are unlike in many things. We can not be made over again. You are as you were made, and as you were made you can remain. We are just as we were made by the Great Spirit, and you can not change us ; then why should children of one mother and one father quarrel ? — why should one try to cheat the other ? I do not believe that the Great Spirit Chief gave one kind of men the right to tell another kind of men what they must do.
bring community effort food good great public skills teams trying
We're trying to bring all of that back, ... We've had teams come in, and we're encouraging public participation. It's a big community effort that's great for morale. It's good to have the townspeople come out to see our firefighting skills and get some good food and fellowship, too.
people earth way
All people should be treated the same way on earth.
men asks
We ask to be recognized as men.
tongue speak
I will speak with a straight tongue.
native-american law great-american
I will obey every law, or submit to the penalty.
men law asks
We ask only that the law shall work alike on all men.
people divided
My people were divided about surrendering.
native-american men white-man
If the white man wants to live in peace with the Indianwe can live in peace. There need be no trouble. Treat all men alike. give them all the same law. Give them all an even chance to live and grow.