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
truth few-words telling-the-truth
It takes few words to tell the truth.
people divided
My people were divided about surrendering.
war men buying
I saw clearly that war was upon us when I learned that my young men had been secretly buying ammunition.
country band lawyer
Lawyer acted without authority from our band. He had no right to sell the Wallowa country.
fighting indian
When an Indian fights, he only shoots to kill.
strong war heart
It required a strong heart to stand up against such talk, but I urged my people to be quiet and not to begin a war.
may meat fur
Finest fur may cover toughest meat.
children giving give-me
Good words will not give me back my children.
country giving-up war
I said in my heart that, rather than have war, I would give up my country.
men vaccines white
We soon found that the white men were growing rich very fast, and were greedy.
done heard
I have heard talk and talk, but nothing is done.
mother native-american rights
The earth is the mother of all people, and all people should have equal rights upon it.
native-american fighting sun
From where the sun now stands I will fight no more.
fathers-day father eye
My father... had sharper eyes than the rest of our people.