After the Battle of Big Hole When I walk the battlefi eld it’s sacred ground. A lot of relatives are buried there, but the memories of them are still living on. We are here today because of them. Their love for us lives in my heart. —?ıpelıkítemucet (Frank Andrews) Nez Perce camp at Big Hole Battlefi eld 1877 © CHUCK HANEY THE FLIGHT After the battle at Big Hole, the nımí.pu. ered fl owers and grass. Those leaves are enough already. General Miles had promised he got it by the destruction of our people. had to do with where they placed us. The fl ed. Each time the military caught up, they dead, those fl owers are dead. This tells of the that we might return to our own country. We who yesterday were rich are beggars interpreter asked us, ‘Where you want to go? escaped. “Every day was struggling,” said end of fi ghting. Soon we are to be attacked I thought we could start again. I believed today. We have no country, no people, no Lapwai and be Christian, or Colville and just kulkulsiyeké.t (Matthew Whitfi eld). “Fighting for the last time. Guns will be laid down.” General Miles, or I never would have surren- home.” He and over 250 others made it to be yourself?’ No other question was asked and hurrying on. Faint for food; tired with the dered. He could not have made any other Canada and safety. us. Chief [Young] Joseph was not given hard traveling. Little children, some of THE LAST BATTLE terms with me at that time. On the fi fth choice where to go. But he had promise . them wounded. Women dying of wounds on The attack began the next morning and the day I went to General Miles and gave up my EXILE he could go [to his homeland in Oregon] with the trail. Men left to die or be killed by the siege lasted fi ve days. Lt. Woodruff recalled: gun and said, ‘From where the sun now More than 400 nımí.pu. were captured at Bear his band. That was never to be.” soldiers and scouts because they were too old “General Miles struck . attacked and stands I will fi ght no more.’ My people need- Paw and considered prisoners of war. They to travel further, or too badly shot to ride.” surrounded Joseph, and after . days ed rest—we wanted peace.” were sent to Kansas and then to Indian Terri- More than a century later, x.íst (Sharon of fi ghting . compelled the surrender of tory (Oklahoma). kulkulsiyeké.t (Matthew Redthunder) said, “It’s something that just ˛ On September 29, they camped at cáynım Joseph and all of his band, except those ESCAPE TO CANADA Whitfi eld) said: “I always think of our slavery breaks my heart when I think of everything ?á.lıka?spa (today known as Bear Paw Battle- under White Bird, who escaped through his Those who did escape during the battle, did in Indian Territory. I cannot forget it! Held in our people went through, and how we’re so fi eld) near Canada. That night wató.?lın (Hair lines and fl ed to British America.” so with heavy hearts. “With women’s hearts bondage till half our band died in that hot, scattered. We’re still scattered . all the way Combed Over Eyes) dreamed: “I saw the wa- breaking, children weeping and men silent, fl at country. Babies and children dying. to Oklahoma, Kansas, Canada, Idaho, Ore- ˛ ters of the stream all red with blood of both hınmató.wyalahtqıt (Young Joseph) ex- we moved over the divide,” said pıyó.pıyo I can never put its memory from my mind.” gon, Washington, Montana. We’re all bonded Indian and Soldier. I saw falling from trees, plained why he made the choices he did: xa.yxá.yx (White Bird), “and closed our eyes together because of our encounter we went frost-yellowed leaves; mingling with with- “I could not bear to see my wounded men upon our once happy homes. We were wan- SCATTERED through in 1877.” and women suffer any longer; we had lost derers on the prairie. The white man When fi nally released in 1885, hímı.n wanted the wealth our people possessed; maqsmáqs (Yellow Wolf) explained: “Religion TROWEL BAYONET This sharp trowel transforms from digging tool to deadly weapon. Soldiers dug emer- gency rifl e pits with them at Big . Hole; nimí pu dug emergency To Umatilla Wood shelters at Bear Paw. Reservation Fort Walsh Mountain TROWEL—NPS / WASHINGTON To Nez Perce Sitting Bull’s STATE UNIVERSITY C A N A D A Reservation Camp Frenchmans Creek Escape Cree Crossing ˛ Milk White Bird’s hınmató.wyalahtqıt (Young Joseph) and Members of the Nez Perce Appaloosa General Gibbon, 1889 Battle of Bear Paw Horse Club at Big Hole Battlefi eld SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION / NAA September 30–October 5 NPS / STEPHANIE MARTIN COLVILLE RESERVATION Cow Island Landing Fort Benton September 23 Lessons from the Tragedy To exile G Hope for the Future R M issouri ˛ O Fort Shaw R E hınmató.wyalahtqıt (Young Joseph) Treat all W Gibbon departs July 28 T Rebecca Miles There’s no future without A S H I E N G T O N C U men alike. Give them all the same law. Give O forgiveness. If we can forgive, there’s nothing R A K E D M R I them all an even chance to live and grow. C LE this tribe can’t do. A T Y N R S BO E W IB P Whenever the white man treats the Indian as G O Z Fort Fizzle E H they treat each other, then we shall have no July 26 N ?ıpelıkítemucet (Frank Andrews) Our victory is Fort Missoula Camp Baker more wars. We shall be . brothers of one fa- Judith Gap that we are still here. We are still surviving, we D C AR Lolo Pass lar ell ther and one mother, with one sky above us W k F elsh are going on. We still have our culture, tradi- NEZ PERCE O o uss B r M H M k S i I and one country around us. Then the Great Fort Lapwai RESERVATION t tions, customs, united together. Maybe one t G 1863 e R r r r T U r Spirit . will smile upon this land, and send r T Tongue River Cantonment day we can share each other’s different ways Battle of o S Cottonwood Skirmishes o N M O N T A N A Sturgis departs August 12 rain to wash out the bloody spots. For this July 4–5 the Clearwater t Miles departs September 18 and . join hands together and work for that. July 11–12 V S a time the Indian race are waiting and praying. l l Battle of Tolo Lake e n y Gibbon o ne June 2–14 s Fort o . i t Canyon Creek temıyéwtıtu t (Albert Andrews Redstar) So to ws UMATILLA Pass d Ellis lo September 13 l P a e Corporal Charles Loynes (when he was 90) As I RESERVATION Battle of Y the young people, “Don’t forget who you are. White Bird Canyon M Battle of the Big Hole L sit retrospecting [sic] so vividly on those distant Learn how to pick up those drums and sing the e June 17 August 9–10 Little Bighorn k A G A a n days when battles took place between your n a B r Battlefield songs that we sing, learn how to speak in the l D o S l S Clarks Fork n a h o R g 1876 I lm t A Yellowstone i brave ancestors and my fellow soldiers, it is Sa i fashion of our old people. Because it’s in those Bannack n A R B N APPRO 55 R W XIMATE 18 H O with saddened regret that I, and they, were a songs and in the speech of our people that we TREAT Y O O Y BOUNDAR n W K S g H compelled to carry out the orders of our superi- A e A learn the lessons to carry our lives. Don’t forget APPRO R XIMATE N Bannack D Targhee Pass or offi cers, when we knew they were fi ghting EZ PERCE HOMELAND YELLOWSTONE those old teachings.” O R E G O N Pass R for the preservation of their homes and the A O M I N G N W Y right to live their own lives, and their own reli- NATIONAL PARK STURGIS ta?mapcá?yoxayxáyx (White Hawk / John I D A H O G . gious beliefs. Battle of Camas Meadows E Miller) Now, all this trouble is past. It is like Birch Creek August 20 two different trees, young trees. Planted, they August 15 sísa.wipam (Roberta Conner) This history is grow together their branches intertwining. kept alive no matter how sad it is, no matter Hereafter, both races, red and white are friend- S na how much injustice and tragedy it carries. ke ly always. That this would last as long as the Nez Perce US military Doesn’t matter. We keep it alive because if we route routes world exists. forget this history, we forget part of our identi- North ty. This history not only has made us sad, it’s 0 50 100 Kilometers made us strong, it’s made us resilient. 0 50 100 Miles Visiting Other Battle Sites of the People’s Flight Planning Your Visit Big Hole National Battlefield is on FIREARMS For firearms regulations MORE INFORMATION MT 43 between US 93 on the west check the park website.