Chief Joseph

Everything Everywhere Daily: History, Science, Geography & More

This episode explores the life and tragic struggle of Chief Joseph, a prominent leader of the Nez Perce tribe during the late 19th century.

Key takeaways

• The 1s855 Walla Walla Council initially secured Nez Perce land through a treaty with unanimous consent from 56 bands.
• The discovery of gold in Idaho in 1860 led the U.S. government to unilaterally dismantle existing tribal protections.

Main topics

• Nez Perce history
• Treaty of Walla Walla

Notable quotes

I am tired of fighting. Our chiefs are killed. It is cold and we have no blankets.

Conclusion

The episode serves as a poignant reminder of the human cost of westwar

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:00) In the late 19th century, as the United States expanded across the West, one native leader became famous not only for his resistance, but for the words he used after it ended. His people crossed mountains, fought battles, and traveled more than a thousand miles while the U.S. Army pursued them. Yet his greatest legacy may have come afterward, when he became one of the most eloquent advocates for native rights in American history. Learn more about Chief Joseph, his people, and their incredible journey on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Speaker 2 (0:45) Comprehensive. Speaker 1 (0:45) Witty. Speaker 2 (0:46) Speculative. Speaker 1 (0:47) Critical. Speaker 2 (0:48) Insightful. Profound. Wide Speaker 1 (0:49) -ranging. Hopefully doesn't take itself too, too seriously. Speaker 2 (0:53) I'm David Remnick, and each week on The New Yorker Radio Hour, my colleagues and I try to make sense of what's happening in this chaotic world. I hope you'll join us for The New Yorker Radio Hour wherever you listen to podcasts. Speaker 1 (1:06) Thoughtful. Exquisite. Just, you know, real. Speaker 1 (1:14) I'm Alan. And I'm Sean. And together we host the Prancing Pony Podcast. Every week I explore Middle Earth with Sean or with other co-hosts lately with in-depth analysis and plenty of nerd humor. From The Hobbit to The Lord of the Rings and more, it's a great way for first-timers to experience J.R.R. Tolkien's captivating world. And for longtime fans, it's a deep dive into their favorite stories. So if you're ready to take the next step into the most beloved world in fantasy literature and become a part of a vibrant, active community of listeners, then look for The Prancing Pony Podcast. wherever you listen. Chief Joseph was one of the most famous Native American leaders of the 19th century. Born sometime around 1840 in what is now northeastern Oregon, he became the principal political leader of the Walloa Band of the Nez Perce tribe. The Nez Perce had lived in the Walloa Valley of eastern Oregon for centuries. The story of Chief Joseph's rise to prominence began at the 1855 Walla Walla Council. The Walla Walla Council brought together U.S. officials and native nations of the Pacific Northwest and produced several treaties that established reservations and opened large areas of indigenous land to American settlement. At the conference, the Nez Perce leaders, led by Chief Old Joseph, the father of Chief Joseph, believed that they had secured their land. The tribal leaders ceded 7.5 million acres to the federal government while securing their jurisdiction over their ancestral lands, including the Wallowa Valley. Unlike many treaties between the U.S. government and indigenous nations, this treaty had the unanimous consent of all 56 bands of the Nez Perce. Old Joseph left the council confident that the agreement had secured his people's future. Unfortunately, that peace lasted barely a year. The Senate ratified the treaty in 1859, but in 1860, prospectors trespassing on Nez Perce lands discovered gold in northern Idaho. Under the 1855 treaty, non-native settlers, miners, and traders were strictly barred from entering or occupying reservation land without tribal consent. While the U.S. government initially acknowledged the treaty and ordered the trespassers out, enforcement quickly evaporated as thousands of miners poured into the region. Illegal boomtowns sprang up directly on Nez Perce land, most notably Lewiston, Idaho, founded in 1861 as a rogue supply depot. By 1863, the gold rush was too lucrative for Washington to ignore, and rather than protecting tribal sovereignty, the federal government moved to dismantle the very treaty that it had signed. Instead of enforcing the 1855 treaty, the U.S. government changed its terms. In