Chief Joseph Quotes

• I believe much trouble and blood would be saved if we opened our hearts more.

  Chief Joseph

  Topics in Wisdom
• 

  It does not require many words to speak the truth.

  Chief Joseph

  Topics in Truth

  Tags in Words, Require

• I said in my heart that, rather than have war, I would give up my country.

  Chief Joseph

  Topics in Country

  Tags in War

• All men were made by the Great Spirit Chief. They are all brothers.

  Chief Joseph

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Men

• Treat all men alike. Give them the same law. Give them an even chance to live and grow.

  Chief Joseph

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Men

• I would give up everything rather than have the blood of white men upon the hands of my people.

  Chief Joseph

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in People, Blood, Men

• I only ask of the government to be treated as all other men are treated.

  Chief Joseph

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Men

• An Indian respects a brave man, but he despises a coward.

  Chief Joseph

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Coward

• If the white man wants to live in peace with the Indian he can live in peace.

  Chief Joseph

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Live

• When my young men began the killing, my heart was hurt.

  Chief Joseph

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Hurt, Killing

• When an Indian fights, he only shoots to kill.

  Chief Joseph

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Fights, Kill

• A chief called Lawyer, because he was a great talker, took the lead in the council, and sold nearly all the Nez Perce country.

  Chief Joseph

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Lawyer

• Lawyer acted without authority from our band. He had no right to sell the Wallowa country.

  Chief Joseph

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Authority, Lawyer

• It makes my heart sick when I remember all the good words and the broken promises.

  Chief Joseph

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Good, Remember

• Let me be a free man – free to travel, free to stop, free to work.

  Chief Joseph

  Topics in Work

  Tags in Trade, Travel, Man

• You might as well expect rivers to run backwards as any man born free to be contented penned up.

  Chief Joseph

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Man

• We did not know there were other people besides the Indian until about one hundred winters ago, when some men with white faces came to our country.

  Chief Joseph

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Came, Winter

• I will speak with a straight tongue.

  Chief Joseph

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Tongue, Straight

• I have heard talk and talk, but nothing is done.

  Chief Joseph

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Talk

• The first white men of your people who came to our country were named Lewis and Clark. They brought many things that our people had never seen. They talked straight. These men were very kind.

  Chief Joseph

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in People, White

Chief Joseph (58)

Birth:	3rd March, 1840
Death:	21st September, 1904
Nationality:	American
Profession:	Leader

About

Chief Joseph was born in Wallowa Valley, Oregon. He was a Nez Perce chief who, faced with settlement by whites of tribal lands in Oregon, led his followers in a dramatic effort to escape to Canada. He was the chief of the Wal-lam-wat-kain band of Nez Perce during General Oliver O. Howard's attempt to forcibly remove his band and the other "non-treaty" Nez Perce to a reservation in Idaho. For his principled resistance to the removal, he became renowned as a humanitarian and peacemaker.

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