Chief Joseph and the Flight of the Nez Perce by Kent Nerburn

 

"Tell General Howard I know his heart. What he told me before, I have it in my heart. I am tired of fighting. Our chiefs are killed; Looking Glass is dead, Too-hul-hul-sote is dead. The old men are all dead. It is the young men who say yes or no. He who led on the young men is dead. It is cold, and we have no blankets; the little children are freezing to death. My people, some of them, have run away to the hills, and have no blankets, no food. No one knows where they are, perhaps freezing to death. I want to have time to look for my children and see how many of them I can find. Maybe I shall find them among the dead. Hear me, my chiefs! I am tired; my heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever."  

               -Chief Joseph, from his Surrender Speech, October 5,1877

I was familiar with this portion of Chief Joseph's speech, especially the last few sentences. I had always wondered about his story and that of the Nez Perce people. Perhaps this book told me more than I wanted to know. It was dense with details and difficult to read, not because of the writing, but because of the disturbing content. I have said I like a nonfiction that reads like fiction, and this one did not. There was really no dialogue, only some quotes, but such a gripping and sad story. I guess I knew better than to expect a happy ending.

The flight of the Nez Perce begins in their homeland of the Wallowa Valley of Eastern Oregon in June of 1877. Joseph and others were leading 800 men, women and children on a 1500-mile retreat being chased by various U.S. Army officers under the command of General Sherman, head of all the U.S. armies. He delivered orders to "pursue them to the death." Not so different from his notorious march through Georgia.

Joseph never wanted to fight; he only wanted to protect his people, look out for their welfare and be allowed to live peacefully on their ancestral lands. He would be forced to fight and then to flee with his people. After the Nez Perce surrendered they were forced from one fort to another under inhumane conditions, often with little food and medicine and insufficient housing and clothing suited to the weather. In 1885 they had been relocated to the Northwest but never to their homeland as had been promised more than once by military leaders.

As a student of Florida history, the story of the Nez Perce reminded me of the Seminoles and their years-long harassment by the U.S. Army, particularly Andrew Jackson. I have to wonder how many other native culture groups experienced similar tragedies.

This book was thoroughly researched---the author says he worked for 4 years. Because of that and the excellent writing I rate it a 5. I was inspired by Chief Joseph's story---his determination, resilience and devotion to his people. He has been referred to as the "Red Napoleon" and Buffalo Bill Cody called him the "greatest Indian America ever produced."