A county board in Oregon is set to decide today whether a housing development will be allowed near the grave of Old Chief Joseph, a leader of the Nez Perce Tribe.

A developer wants to build 11 homes on 62 acres near the Old Chief Joseph Monument and Cemetery. Wallowa County commissioners gave preliminary approval to the plan last December.

But the Nez Perce Tribe and two other tribes have filed appeals to stop the project. They say the area around the gravesite needs to be protected. The city of Joseph supports the appeal, saying that archeological studies have not been adequate.

Old Chief Joseph is the father of Chief Joseph, who led his band on a 1,500-mile flight from Army forces. Their homeland was the Wallowa Valley, which was taken from the tribe in a treaty.

Get the Story:
Tribe Battling to Block Housing Near Gravesite (The Los Angeles Times 2/1)
pwlat

Relevant Links:
Nez Perce Tribe - http://www.nezperce.org

Related Stories:
Appeals seek to protect Old Chief Joseph's grave (01/08)
Developer wants to build near Old Chief Joseph's grave (12/12)