Jodi Rave: Nez Perce homeland remains sacred

"Nez Pierce Chief Joseph remains one of the most remarkable Native leaders who refused to willingly surrender his father's homeland to white settlers and gold diggers.

In 1877, within a year of the Battle of the Little Big Horn, Chief Joseph, the younger, would pull off one of the most extraordinary military feats in U.S. history. It began in the Nez Perce country that existed within Idaho, Washington and Oregon.

The Nez Perce were forced to sign the Stevens Treaty of 1855, which meant they had to give up thousands of acres of land to the U.S. government. They were able to remain in the heart of their territory, which was the Wallowa Valley in eastern Oregon.

But when gold was discovered, new treaties were created. Even though the Joseph Band of Nez Perce refused to sign, they were still forced to new lands in Idaho. Distraught warriors, consequently, killed some white settlers, which started the Nez Perce War, a 1,200-mile retreat of the Joseph Band that led to their final capture in Montana, 40 miles short of Canada, where they sought refuge.

But the Nez Perce homeland in the Wallowa Valley still calls."

Get the Story:
Nez Perce homeland will always be sacred (The Missoulian 6/3)

More Jodi Rave:
YWCA honorees empower us all (The Missoulian 6/1)

Relevant Links:
Jodi Rave - http://www.missoulian.com/jodirave

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