• To read and analyze a speech by a
Native American chief who has
decided to cease fighting 
• To identify and describe the tone of a
speech
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Chief Joseph was
born around 1840
and died in 1904.
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more about Chief Joseph.
BACKGROUND
The Long Trek to Canada
Chief Joseph tried to take his people from Oregon
to Canada because he felt he had no choice. From
June 17 to September 30, 1877, he led some two
hundred warriors and their families on the journey.
The warriors fought off pursuing federal troops,
despite being outnumbered at least ten to one.
Because of his constant attention to the needs of
the women, children, and aged among his people,
because of his humane treatment of prisoners, and
because of his honorable behavior in victory and
defeat, Chief Joseph won many admirers and
supporters among Native Americans and whites.
FOCUS ACTIVITY
Journal
Write about a time when you had to defend
yourself, either physically or verbally. How did
you handle the situation? 
Setting a Purpose
Read to understand a man’s defense of his
decisions.
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A Active Reading
Respond
Chief Joseph’s speech is written in a series of
sentences with similar grammatical structures.
What response do these sentences
evoke?
Naming many of the people who have
died and repeating the words “is dead”
helps you understand the enormity of his
loss.
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Personal Response
Analyzing Literature
Literary Elements
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corresponding content area.
PERSONAL RESPONSE
If you could speak to Chief Joseph,
what would you say to him?
RECALL AND INTERPRET
What has happened to the chiefs and
the old men of the tribe? Who is left to
carry on the fight? In your opinion,
how might these developments have
affected Chief Joseph’s decision?
The chiefs and the old men have all died.
The young men must carry on the fight.
Chief Joseph may believe that it is up to a
new generation to decide what to do next.
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RECALL AND INTERPRET
What other reasons does Chief Joseph
give for his decision? What can you
infer about his values and his
character, based on these reasons?
He wants to look for the children, and he
is tired and full of sorrow. His desire to
save the remainder of his people reveals
that he is a kind and honorable person.
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RECALL AND INTERPRET
What words does Chief Joseph use to
describe his heart? How do the
feelings he describes help you better
understand the decision he has made?
His heart is “sick” and “sad.” The feelings
he describes make his decision to cease
fighting more understandable.
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RECALL AND INTERPRET
In your words, restate the last
sentence of Chief Joseph’s speech.
Possible answer: From this moment on, I
will never fight again.
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RECALL AND INTERPRET
What words and phrases does Chief
Joseph repeat? What is the effect of
this repetition?
He repeats the words “is dead” and
“freezing to death,” which reinforces his
sorrow and feelings of helplessness over
the deaths of many of his people.
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EVALUATE AND CONNECT
In this short speech, Chief Joseph
explains a decision that will have an
enormous impact on the lives of his
people. Do you think a longer, more
detailed speech would have been more
effective or more convincing? Why or
why not?
Possible answer: The speech is very
effective in expressing his feelings. The
shortness of the speech implies that he is
too tired to say more.
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EVALUATE AND CONNECT
Chief Joseph was a brave, proud
warrior. In your opinion, what inner
qualities did he summon in order to
accept defeat with dignity? Explain.
Possible answer: His inner qualities
include courage, faith, and honor.
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EVALUATE AND CONNECT
After reading Chief Joseph’s speech,
can you imagine a different solution to
a time you had to defend yourself?
Explain.
Possible answer: Walking away from
confrontation can be honorable.
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LITERARY ELEMENTS
• Tone is the writer’s attitude toward the
subject of a work. 
• The tone of a piece of writing conveys one or
more emotions. 
• Writers create the tone of a work primarily
through word choice, but sentence structure
and length can also be important. 
• For example, Chief Joseph’s use of brief
sentences and simple, direct language
emphasizes the overwhelming sense of loss.
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LITERARY ELEMENTS
What words and phrases help create a
tone that is weary, resigned, and sad,
yet dignified?
Phrases may include “I am tired of
fighting,” “I am tired; my heart is sick and
sad,” and “From where the sun now
stands I will fight no more forever.”
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LITERARY ELEMENTS
Find examples of simple, direct
language and brief sentences. How do
they affect the tone of the speech?
“The old men are all dead” is one
example of a brief sentence that adds to
the sad, resigned tone of the speech.
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tired, sick, sad, freezing, dead
short, succinct sentences, such as “I am tired; my
heart is sick and sad” and “Maybe I shall find them
among the dead”
sad, discouraged, resigned to surrender