Nez Perce War

The part of North America where the Nez Perce Indians resided and do indeed reside today is the  beautiful, mountainous and green northwest. This is the area of the present state of Idaho in which today's Nez Perce Reservation is in the northwest section. The Nez Perce lands were at one time so large that at the time of the Lewis and Clark Expedition they were estimated to cover some 17 million acres. The Nez Perce tribe called themselves Mimi'ipuu. This translates to the "real people" or "we the people". If your western trip or vacation take you to the state of Idaho you will want to travel to the Camas Prairie region just a few miles east of Lewiston Idaho. Lewiston is the county seat of Nez Perce County.

Things to See

Nez Perce band, 1877

One stop you do want to add to your Idaho vacation planner is the Nez Perce Historical Society and Museum in Lewiston. Here you'll find showcased the history of the Nez Perce Native Americans, the Lewis and Clark Expedition and the frontier region of Idaho in general.

The museum is located at 306 Third Street. Also add the vast Nez Perce Historical Park to your trip planner. The park stretches for many miles in four states of the northwest and the best place to start your visit is the Spalding Visitor Center located eleven miles east of Lewiston. Exploring the park in it's entirety is a several day trip so planning your visit beforehand is essential.

Another fun and historic trip while you're vacationing in the northwest is the Nez Perce National Historic Trail which runs from Wallowa Lake Oregon to the Bear Paw Battlefield near Chinook Montana. In 1986 it was added to the National Historic Trail system. The trail covers over 1,100 miles and runs touches the states of Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. Yet another very historic and scenic drive is the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway which is 47 miles long and skirts the northeastern edge of Yellowstone National Park.

Lewiston came into being in 1861, just about one year after the gold rush hit the region. Although missionaries and Oregon Trail settlers passed nearby during the 1840's and 1850's, when rumors of gold circulated there was no keeping people away. This kind of event happened all over the west starting with the California Gold Rush. When gold was discovered inside the official reservation in 1863 and as prospectors and settlers moved in to the reservation similar to how they did in the Black Hills years later, a new Nez Perce treaty cut the reservation acreage by 90 percent.

Broken Treaties

Nez Perce Chief Joseph, 1877

What ultimately happened with the Nez Perce Native Americans is not dissimilar with what occurred with the Sioux and other northern plains Indian tribes. Settlers entered the region, with or without formal permission, and the army was tasked with placing the Native Indians on designated reservations.

Because there is natural resistance from the Indians, what usually follows is a war. In the case of the Nez Perce, the original agreement with the Palous Tribe was part of the Walla Walla Treaty of 1855 and detailed tribal lands in the Pacific Northwest. The defining conflict with the Sioux, which largely resulted from the Black Hills gold rush and who resided east of the Nez Perce was the Sioux War of 1876-77. This was the conflict that saw the Battle of the Little Bighorn and then the surrender of Crazy Horse in 1877.

After the Sioux War ended, the next issue for the army was the Nez Perce to the west. The army ordered the non-treaty Indians to their reservation in Idaho. Interestingly enough, the army attempted to enlist the help of Crazy Horse in it's move against the Nez Perce but to no avail. Some historians would say that Crazy Horse's refusal to fight the Nez Perce tribe was in some ways responsible for his slaying at Fort Robinson.

The Nez Perce War

The army ordered all Nez Perce which included the Palous back on the Idaho reservation in May 1877. 
They were given about a month to return. Those Nez Perce who decided against this were led by Chief Joseph and Toohoolhoolzote. This group, who had been in western Oregon, decided to flee to Canada instead of relocating to the small Idaho reservation. The Nez Perce War was fought while this long exodus was taking place. The non-treaty Nez Perce had planned to join up with Sitting Bull who had already fled to Canada with his followers a month previous. He had been a hunted man ever since the battle of the Little Bighorn. The effort of this Nez Perce group to flee to Canada is often referred to as the "Nez Perce Flight". 

Rifle of Chief Joseph

The battles that occurred during the Nez Perce War were fought along the 1,200 mile trail while the Indians tried to make their escape. There were several battles along the way while the Nez Perce continued to head north. 

General Oliver Howard led the chase at first and then it was taken over by the famous General Nelson Miles. The defining battle and the one which led to the surrender of Chief Joseph occurred just short of the Canadian border at the Bear Paw Mountains. The surrendering Nez Perce tribe which totaled over 400 men, women and children were transported to Fort Leavenworth Kansas. A small band of Nez Perce did make it through to Canada and joined up with Sitting Bull. 

Flight of the Nez Perce, 1877

Three additional articles on Western Trips you'll find interesting are the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway, the White Pass Scenic Byway in Central Washington and the Battle of Slim Buttes in the aftermath of the Little Bighorn defeat.

The Nez Perce Native Americans were the original people from Oregon, Idaho and Washington state. They lived in villages in the Plains west of the Rocky Mountains. They were fishing and hunting people. For fishing they used to use spears and nets. 

Although some people still speak the Nez Perce language, the vast majority speak English. Today, most Nez Perce Native Americans reside on their Idaho reservation. This part of Idaho is a beautiful region of the U.S. It's a great area to add to your Idaho vacation planner to learn more about the interesting culture of the historic Nez Perce people.

(Article copyright Western Trips. Photos and images from the public domain)

Map location of Nez Perce Historical Park


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