I Will Fight No More Forever” Chief Joseph Introduction In 1877, the U.S. government ordered members of the Nez Percé Nation to move off their lands in western Oregon onto a reservation in Idaho. Instead, about 800 Nez Percés tried to escape to Canada. This group included Hin-mah-too-yah-latkekt, more commonly known as Chief Joseph. The Nez Percé traveled over 1,500 miles of mountainous terrain in their attempt to escape. They fought many battles with pursuing U.S. troops, only to be halted just 40 miles from the safety of the Canadian border. On October 5, the exhausted survivors surrendered. Chief Joseph’s speech has become a famous symbol of the resistance and conquest of Native Americans in the West. Primary Source If you need extra support, click on the icon between the text. I am tired of fighting. Our chiefs are killed. Looking Glass is dead. Toohulhulsote is dead. The old men are all dead. It is the young men who say yes or no. He who led the young men 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 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. what can be said about the treatment of Native Americans during this time period? How might many Native Americans have felt? Do you think you would have agreed with Chief Joseph if you were one of the chiefs to whom he was speaking? Why or why not?
During this time period, the treatment of Native Americans was often brutal and unjust. The U.S. government consistently broke treaties with Native tribes and forced them off their land onto reservations, leading to violence, displacement, and suffering. Many Native Americans felt betrayed, oppressed, and devastated by the loss of their land, culture, and way of life.
If I were one of the chiefs to whom Chief Joseph was speaking, I likely would have agreed with him. Chief Joseph's words reflect the exhaustion, sadness, and despair felt by many Native Americans who were fighting against overwhelming odds. At a certain point, it may have seemed hopeless to continue fighting and risking the lives of their people when the outcome seemed inevitable. Chief Joseph's decision to surrender and fight no more forever was a pragmatic one, made out of a desire to protect his people and prevent further suffering.