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Nez Perce Indian
Chiefs and Leaders
Arthur, Mark. A full-blood Nez Perce, born in 1873. His mother being captured
with Chief Joseph s band in 1877, Mark became a wanderer among strange tribes
until about 1880, when he found his way back to the Nez Perce res., Idaho, where
he entered the mission school of Miss McBeth and soon began to prepare for the
ministry. When the Nez Perce captives sent to the Indian Territory were returned
to their northern home, Mark found his mother among them and cared for her until
her death . About 1900 he was ordained by the Walla Walla presbytery and became
pastor, at Lapwai, Idaho, of the oldest Presbyterian church w. of the Rocky
mts., in which charge he has met with excellent success. In 1905 he was elected
delegate to represent both whites and Indians at the general assembly of the
Presbyterian church. (A. C. F.)
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Joseph
Joseph.
The leader of the Nez Percé
in the hostilities of
1877. His mother was a
Nez Percé,
his father a Cayuse, who received the name Joseph from his
teacher, the missionary Spalding,
who was with Dr. A.
Whitman and who went to the Idaho
country in the late thirties of
the 19th century. Chief
Joseph's native name was Hinmaton-yalatkit (Hinmaton, `thunder';
yalatkit, 'coming
from the water up over the
land.'-Miss McBeth), but both he
and his brother |
Ollicot were
often called Joseph, as
if it were a family name. Joseph
was a man of fine presence and
impressive features, and
was one of the most remarkable
Indians within the borders of the Union.
The treaty of 1863, by
which the whites obtained
a right to the Wallowa valley,
the ancient home of Joseph's band in
N. E.
Oregon, was not recognized by Joseph
and the Indians sympathizing with
him, who continued to dwell
there in spite of
collisions between the Indians
and the whites, which became more
and more frequent.
The matter of removing these Indians to the Lapwai reservation
in Idaho, after the
failure of a commission the previous
year, was proceeding to a peaceful
settlement when outrageous acts
on the part of the white
settlers caused the Nez
Percé to break loose and attack the
settlements.
A war was declared
after several
engagements, in which the whites
lost severely, Joseph displayed
remark able generalship in a retreat worthy to be
remembered with that of
Xenophon's ten thousand
(Mooney in 14th Rep. B. A. E
714, 1896).
In spite of the fact that
in front of him was Col.
Miles, behind Gen. Howard,
on his flank Col. Sturgis and his
Indian scouts, Joseph brought his
little band, incommoded
with women and children,
to within 50 miles of the Canadian
border, their objective point,
when they were cut off by
fresh troops in front an forced to surrender conditionally
on
Oct. 5, 1877. Not
only the conduct of the
Nez Perce during this retreat of more than 1,000 miles, but also the
military and tactical
skill displayed by their
leader, won unstinted praise from their conquerors.
The promises made to
Joseph and his people were
ignored and the
removed
to Ft Leavenworth, Kansas, and
afterward to Indian
Territory, where they remained for several years, always
yearning for the mountains and
valleys of Idaho. In 1883
a party of 33 women and
children were allowed to
go back to their old home,
and were followed the next year
by 118 others.
Joseph and the remaining members
of his hand, however, numbering 150, were not permitted to return to
Idaho, but were sent to the
Colville res., Wash. He lived to visit President Roosevelt
and Gen. Miles at Washington in
Mar., 1903, but died at
Nespelim, on the Colville reservation,
Wash., Sept. 21, 1904.
According to the
Indian agent he had become
reconciled to civilization in his last years, lending his aid in the
education of the children of his tribe, and discouraging
gambling and drunkenness. |
Smohalla, an Indian prophet and teacher, the originator of a religion
current among the tribes of the upper Columbia River and adjacent
region in Washington, Oregon and Idaho, whence the name "Smohallah
Indians" sometimes applied. The name, properly Shmoqŭla,
signifies "The Preacher," and was given to him after he became
prominent as a religious reformer. He belonged to the Sokulk, a
small tribe cognate to the Nez Percé and centering about Priest rapids
on the Columbia in eastern Washington. He was born about 1815 or 1820,
and in his boyhood frequented a neighboring Catholic mission, from
which he evidently derived some of his ceremonial ideas. He
distinguished himself as a warrior, and began to preach about the year
1850. Somewhat later, in consequence of a quarrel with a rival chief,
he left home secretly and absented himself for a long time, wandering
as far south as Mexico and returning overland through Nevada to the
Columbia. On being questioned he declared that he had been to the
spirit world and had been sent back to deliver a message to the Indian
race. This message, like that of other aboriginal prophets, was,
briefly, that the Indians must return to their primitive mode of life,
refuse the teachings or the things of the white man, and in all their
actions be guided by the will of the Indian God as revealed in dreams
to Smohalla and his priests. The doctrine found many adherents, Chief
Joseph and his Nez Percé being among the most devoted believers.
Smohalla has recently died, but, in spite of occasional friction with
agency officials, the "Dreamers," as they are popularly called,
maintain their religious organization, with periodical gatherings and
an elaborate ceremony. See Mooney, Ghost Dance
Religion, 14th Rep. B. A. E., 1896.
Lawyer - With the exception
of the Joseph war of 1877, the Nez Percé
have almost uniformly been the friends of the Whites. Even in that
conflict they were human enough to abstain form scalping their
captives, and even went so far as to give them water to drink when
they found them wounded and alone. On many occasions they have saved
hundreds of lives and thousands of dollars worth of property. When the
"great audit is made up," it may prove that these Indians have done
vastly more for the conquerors of their land than they have received
from them. Prominent among the friendly chiefs of this great tribe was
lawyer. He appears on the pages of historians from the time of Parker
(in 1836) down. He was at that time a young man, famous for his
natural eloquence and lawyer-like keenness, form which fact he
received the name by which he has since been known. He was a son of
the chief who had met Lewis and Clarke in so friendly a manner, and
had cared for their horses during their stay down the river.
Throughout the entire history of settlement, Lawyer was
a friend of the Whites. He was especially prominent in the
negotiations with Governor Stevens after the great war of 1855. He
threw the weight of his great influence in favor of the treaty, which
established the existing reservations and confirmed the Indians in the
property which they now hold. Though opposed in his peace policy by
Owhi, Kamiakin, Peu-peu-mox-mox and Joseph, the persistence of Lawyer
and the numerical strength of his people turned the scale in favor of
the treaty. The benefit to the settlers by this event can scarcely be
overstated. As was just, the astute chief was ever afterwards held in
great favor.
In person Lawyer was a typical Indian. Though not of
large stature, he was exceedingly straight and well-built with the eye
of an eagle and the nose of a hawk. He has had few equals in general
intelligence among his people.
The books presented are for their
historical value only and are not the
opinions of the Webmasters of the site.
Handbook
of American Indians, 1906
Index of Tribes or Nations
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