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
children thinking men
I am not a child, I think for myself. No man can think for me.
children giving give-me
Good words will not give me back my children.
children heart fighting
Our chiefs are killed. . . . The little children are freezing to death. . . . My people have no blankets, no food. . . . My heart is sick and sad. . . . I will fight no more forever.
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.
convinced happy stable woods
We're very happy with stable water, ... However, we're not convinced we're out of the woods yet.
death deaths personal reason senseless
These are senseless deaths in my personal opinion, ... I can't think of any reason I could give for these homicides.
fear harm left
She was in fear for her life, ... She had been told many times if she left him, harm would come to (her relatives).
fear harm left mother sister states united
She was in fear for her life, ... She had been told many times by Rafael that if she left him that harm would be done to her sister in Guatemala, or once she got to the United States that her mother would be harmed.
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
I want the white people to understand my people.
men rather white
I would give up everything rather than have the blood of white men upon the hands of my people.
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.