Chief Joseph
Joseph’s father was
converted to christianity
by white missionaries.
Joseph became chief of
the Nez Percé Indians in
1871 after his father died.
Being educated in a
mission school, Joseph
was one of the only
Indians that could read
and write.
Historical Background
White settlers’ desire
for more cattle ranges
and the discovery of
gold caused the Nez
Percé war.
A treaty pressured
them to move from
their homeland to a
much smaller
reservation in 1863.
Historical Background
The Indians agreed
to move, but soon
faced raids.
They moved from
Oregon to Montana,
fighting against the
U.S. Army.
In 1877, Chief Joseph surrendered at
Bear’s Paw Mountains.
Historical Background
Chief Joseph gave
his surrender
speech, and the Nez
Percé were forced
onto a reservation.
Eloquent speech
was an important
quality to Native
Americans because
traditions and
legends were
passed down orally.
The Surrender Speech of Chief Joseph
Chief Joseph says that
he is tired of fighting
and “will fight no more
forever”.
He expresses his
sadness.
He mentions that many
chiefs are dead, and he
wants to look for his
missing people.
An Indian’s Views of Indian Affairs
A magazine article by Joseph
two years after surrender.
Joseph wants whites to see
Indians as civilized people,
not animals or savages.
He mentions the Indian's
morals and laws by which
they live.
He also talks about the Nez
Percé religion, which has
beliefs about afterlife that are
similar to Christianity.
Literary Devices
Repitition in Surrender Speech:
“…is dead…is dead…are dead.”
“Hear me, my chiefs, I am tired.
My heart is sad and sick…Hear
me, my chiefs! I am tired; my
heart is sick and sad.”
Personification in Surrender Speech:
“From where the sun now stands…”
The Impact
“The Surrender
Speech of Chief
Joseph” reflected
the times.
It came as a result
of white settlers
taking Native
American land, a
characteristic of the
time period.
The Impact
“An Indian’s Views of
Indian Affairs” shaped
the times.
Most white settlers
viewed Native
Americans very poorly.
The article, written from
an Indian’s view point,
showed whites that Native Americans are
moral, respectable people, not animals.
This shaped public opinion.
Importance to American Literature
These works showed a
side of Native Americans
that was rarely seen.
Native Americans were no
longer viewed as savage,
uneducated brutes.
This was a very
enlightening point of view.