"I am tired of fighting. Our chiefs are killed. 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. 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." — Chief Joseph, Surrender Speech, 1877
The conflict was rooted in U.S. demands that the Nez Perce
- A
Join the Five Civilized Tribes in Oklahoma
- Bcheck_circle
Cede Wallowa Valley lands and move onto a smaller reservation
- C
Convert to Mormonism
- D
Surrender hunting rights in Yellowstone
Explanation
The 1863 "Steal Treaty" reduced Nez Perce lands by 90%; Joseph's band refused removal until the army forced action in 1877.