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Alex Litzau, Zach Reynolds, Luke Westbrook,. Chief. Joseph. Chief Joseph. Joseph’s father was converted to christianity by white missionaries. Joseph became chief of the Nez Perc é Indians in 1871 after his father died.
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Alex Litzau, Zach Reynolds, Luke Westbrook, Chief Joseph
Chief Joseph • Joseph’s father was converted to christianity by white missionaries. • Joseph became chief of the Nez Percé Indians in 1871 after his father died. • Being educated in a mission school, Joseph was one of the only Indians that could read and write.
Historical Background • White settlers’ desire for more cattle ranges and the discovery of gold caused the Nez Percé war. • A treaty pressured them to move from their homeland to a much smaller reservation in 1863.
Historical Background • The Indians agreed to move, but soon faced raids. • They moved from Oregon to Montana, fighting against the U.S. Army. • In 1877, Chief Joseph surrendered at Bear’s Paw Mountains.
Historical Background • Chief Joseph gave his surrender speech, and the Nez Percé were forced onto a reservation. • Eloquent speech was an important quality to Native Americans because traditions and legends were passed down orally.
The Surrender Speech of Chief Joseph • Chief Joseph says that he is tired of fighting and “will fight no more forever”. • He expresses his sadness. • He mentions that many chiefs are dead, and he wants to look for his missing people.
An Indian’s Views of Indian Affairs • A magazine article by Joseph two years after surrender. • Joseph wants whites to see Indians as civilized people, not animals or savages. • He mentions the Indian's morals and laws by which they live. • He also talks about the Nez Percé religion, which has beliefs about afterlife that are similar to Christianity.
Literary Devices • Repitition in Surrender Speech: • “…is dead…is dead…are dead.” • “Hear me, my chiefs, I am tired. My heart is sad and sick…Hear me, my chiefs! I am tired; my heart is sick and sad.” • Personification in Surrender Speech: • “From where the sun now stands…”
The Impact • “The Surrender Speech of Chief Joseph” reflected the times. • It came as a result of white settlers taking Native American land, a characteristic of the time period.
The Impact • “An Indian’s Views of Indian Affairs” shaped the times. • Most white settlers viewed Native Americans very poorly. • The article, written from an Indian’s view point, showed whites that Native Americans are moral, respectable people, not animals. • This shaped public opinion.
Importance to American Literature • These works showed a side of Native Americans that was rarely seen. • Native Americans were no longer viewed as savage, uneducated brutes. • This was a very enlightening point of view.