Chief Joseph

Chief Joseph is another famous American Indian. Chief Joseph was born in 1840, his given Indian name was Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt which to them meant Thunder Rolling down the Mountain, although he was commonly called by his Christian name of Joseph, or Joseph the Younger, due to his father being named Joseph as well, Joseph the Elder.

Chief Joseph the Elder worked with the growing American government to secure a good amount of land for his people. Chief Joseph the Elder was able to secure nearly 6 million acres for his people to reside on; he was also one of the first of the Native American to adopt the Christian ways. When the god rush struck the “wild west” the government went back on the deal they had made with Chief Joseph the Elder cutting the land they had given them down to 1 tenth the size promised. Feeling betrayed Chief Joseph the Elder took out and burned his American flag as well as his bible casting aside these beliefs. He refused to move his people to the new land or to sign the new treaty, why would he, they broke the last treaty.

When Chief Joseph the Elder passed on his son, now, Chief Joseph the Younger took over his fathers place, as well as the problems at hand with the attempt to force them from their land. With the chance of war about to break out against his people he reluctantly led them towards the new designated land, on the move a band of more rebellious warriors of his tribe broke off on their own accord and attacked a few white settlements killed several white people. With this new occurrence the military was sent after them and this began the march of Chief Joseph to bring his people to new lands in Canada.



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