Chief+Joseph

Chief Joseph was born in Wallowa Valley in 1840. He had many different names some people called him Hinmahtooyahlatkekt, some called him Thunder Rolling down the mountain. His most common name was Joseph and his fathers name was also Joseph so they in order to tell them apart they called him Joseph the younger and his father was Joseph the Elder. Chief Joseph the elder did a lot for the Nez Percé tribe. He helped set up a reservation that was from Oregon to Idaho, but because of a gold rush the government took away most of the reservation so they only had the part in Idaho. When his father died he was named Chief Joseph no longer Joseph the younger and he took over his fathers position. While he was Chief there were white settlers that were going into the land. In 1873 there became a law that white settlers couldn't go onto his land and he and his people could live in peace. Everyone thought that Chief Joseph would be a good chief. He was still very upset about how most of his reservation was taken away. Because they were so upset they went to war, many white men were killed. Joseph wasn't that one who wanted war, but he was so upset about their land he became a war leader. Many people were impressed by the way he fought and some called him one of the best military mind of all time. On October 5, 1877 Chief Joseph surrendered. To the publilc Chief Joseph was known as, "The Red Napoleon." His tribe thought of him as a Military chief, and looked up to him very much. To this day many people know of chief Joseph, and love what he did for his tribe Nez Percé and also what he did for Native Americans.

[|Chief Joseph Website]