The site of the 1877 battle between the Chief Joseph Band of the Nez Perce Tribe and the U.S. Army was officially welcomed into the National Park Service on Tuesday.

The Bear Paw Battlefield was the location of the final skirmish of the Nez Perce War of 1877. Army forces caught up with Chief Joseph, who was taking his people to Canada to avoid being forced onto a reservation in Idaho.

After five days, Chief Joseph agreed to end the fight and delivered his famous speech. "From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more, forever," he said.

The battlefield is now part of the Nez Perce National Historic Park thanks to a donation facilitated by the state of Montana and The Conservation Foundation.

Get the Story:
Nez Perce battlefield becomes national park (The Helena Independent Record 5/25)

Relevant Links:
Nez Perce National Historic Park - http://www.nps.gov/nepe
Nez Perce Tribe - http://www.nezperce.org
Bear Paw Battlefield - http://www.chinookmontana.com/battlefield.html

Related Stories:
Nez Perce ceremony marks 1877 battle with Army (09/13)
Nez Perce Tribe vows to stop housing near cemetery (02/19)
Nez Perce Tribe commemorates 1877 imprisonment (04/21)
Nez Perce Tribe honors Chief Redheart's band (4/16)