Chief Joseph
Chief Joseph or Hinmaton-Yalatkit (also Hinmuuttu-yalatlat - "thunder-who-rolls-down-the-mountain" or Hinmatóoyalahtq'it - "thunder-who-wanders-to-higher-areas", * March 3, 1840 ; † September 21, 1904 ) was the chief of the Wal-lam-wat-kain (usually referred to as Wallowa ) group of the Nez-Percé - Indians from the Wallowa River Valley in northeastern Oregon . He made a name for himself as a clever tactician towards the end of the Indian Wars during the Nez Percé War .
In his youth, he served as Young Joseph known as his father Ta-weet Tu-eka-kas ( "Oldest Grizzly" - "elder Grizzly" to 1785-1871) as one of the first Nez Perce under the same name baptized was and therefore is often referred to as the Old Chief Joseph (or Joseph the Elder ).
biography
In the second half of the 19th century, more and more white settlers invaded the habitat of the Nez Percé. The US government had the Nez Percé resettled and released their fertile area for white colonization.
Chief Joseph was neither a high chief nor did he have the rank of war chief. Besides him there were other chiefs in the valley at the time of the imminent resettlement in 1877: especially the chief of the Lamátta group of the Nez Percé White Bird ( Peo-peo-hix-hiix - "White Bird", also known as the White Pelican - " White Pelican ”, † 1892), the shaman Tulhulhulsote and Looking Glass ( Allalimya Takanin -“ He who looks through binoculars ”, * around 1832, † 1877), war chief and leader of the Asotin group of the Nez Percé, as well as the war chiefs Chuslum Moxmox ("Yellow Bull"), Koolkool Snehee ("Red Owl"), Wahchumyus ("Rainbow") and Pahkatos Owyeen ("Five Wounds" - "Five Wounds") ), a total of around 1000 people with over 200 warriors. The tried and tested warriors determined war and peace. The power structure of the Indian group was as complicated as the American bureaucracy, which had been dealing with their resettlement issue since late 1872.
The Nez Percé resisted the planned resettlement and wanted to flee to Canada under Joseph's leadership. They set out on June 6, 1877. On the way there were repeated battles with US troops, which brought the US army several defeats. The escape took four months and 2,400 kilometers across the states of Oregon, Wyoming , Idaho and Montana , killed 123 soldiers and 55 civilians and cost the army $ 931,329 at the time. Civil damage and wounded were not included. The Nez Percé counted about 100-120 dead, including Joseph's brother Ollokot , Toolhoolhoolzote and Looking Glass.
Chief Joseph surrendered to General Oliver Otis Howard and Colonel Miles on October 5, 1877 in the Bear Paw Mountains only one or two days ride (40 miles) before the Canadian border , since his people would only have escaped leaving the wounded, old women and children behind can. About 430 Nez Percé were taken prisoner. About 50 people escaped to Canada the night before the surrender, most notably White Bird, who opposed Chief Joseph's behavior. A total of around 200 Nez Percé found refuge with Sitting Bull's Lakota group in exile in Canada .
In the following years there were several official divisions of the group and merge with the returning from Canada Nez Percé. Above all, the settlement in the Indian territory of Oklahoma in 1878/79 cost about 130 lives ( malaria ), although Chief Joseph's group was settled there in the most advantageous area. Chief Joseph now entered into negotiations to effect a return to the north, for example in 1879 before Congress. He achieved nothing. It was not until 1885 that part of the Nez Percé was moved to the Columbia River in Idaho and the other part to Colville , Washington. Chief Joseph died there on September 21, 1904; according to his broken hearted doctor.
The chief was consistently described as a man of good manners, outgoing and intelligent. By Native American standards, he was not considered a superior warrior and therefore let Looking Glass, Toolhoolhoolzote, Ollokot and others go first. He clocked as often as possible and is therefore characterized as an "Indian Napoleon".
Quote
Famous quote from Chief Joseph on October 5th, the day he surrendered to General Howard's troops:
“Tell General Howard I know his heart. What he told me before I have in my heart. I am tired of fighting. Our chiefs are killed. Looking Glass is dead. Too-hul-hul-sute is dead. The old men are all dead. It is the young men who say yes or no. He who once led them is dead. It is cold and we have no blankets. The little children are freezing to death. My people, some of them, have run away to the hills, and have no blankets, no food; no one knows where they are - perhaps freezing to death. I want to have time to look for my children and see how many of them I can find. Maybe I shall find them among the dead. Hear me, my chiefs. I am tired; my heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands I will fight no more forever. "
“Tell General Howard I know what moves him. I have what he has already told me in my heart. I am tired of fighting. Our chiefs were killed. Looking Glass is dead. Too-hul-hul-sute is dead. The old ones are all dead. The young men are now in charge. The one who led them is dead. It's cold and we have no blankets. The little children are freezing to death. Some of my people ran away to the mountains. They have no blankets and nothing to eat. Nobody knows where they are - maybe they are freezing to death right now. I want time to be able to look for my children and to see how many of them I can still find. Perhaps I will find her among the dead. Hear me, my chiefs! I am tired. My heart is sick and sad. As of the current position of the sun I will never fight again. "
“If the white man wants to live in peace with the Indians, he can. Give the same law to all people. Give all people the opportunity to live and develop. All human beings were created by the great Spirit and all are brothers. Heinmot Toojalaket "
Others
The Chief Joseph Dam was named in honor of Chief Joseph . In the film I'll never fight again , Joseph was played by Ned Romero .
music
The Rednex group used parts of the quote in their song The Spirit of the Hawk .
literature
- Elmar Engel: Chief Joseph, chief of the Nez Percé. Lamuv, Göttingen 1998, ISBN 3-88977-505-5
- Will Henry: From where the Sun now stands. Bantam Books, New York ISBN 0-553-02581-3
- Theodore Mathieson: The Nez Percé Indian War. Monarch, Derby / CT 1964
- Fred Small: The Heart of the Appaloosa from the album The Heart of the Appaloosa. Rounder, Cambridge / Mass 1983
Web links
- Entry in the Washington encyclopedia HistoryLink (English)
- Literature by and about Chief Joseph in the catalog of the German National Library
- Joseph on www.indianer.de
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Chief Joseph |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Young Joseph; Hinmaton Yalatkit; Hinmuuttu-yalatlat; Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekht |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Nez Percé Indians |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 3, 1840 |
| DATE OF DEATH | September 21, 1904 |