The Home of Chief Joseph Of all the Indians evicted from their homelands, none fought harder and more tragically for a country they loved than the Nez Perces of Chief Joseph, who occupied the beautiful Wallowa region of northeastern Oregon. “It is still our land... my father sleeps there, and I love it as I Protected on all sides by lofty mountain ranges and deep chasms, including Hells Canyon, love my mother.” Chief Joseph the lush, sparkling meadows of Wallowa Valley, with its gem, the glacial Wallowa Lake [above], provided delightful and easy living in the spring and summer. In cold weather the Indians descended into canyons like the Imnaha [below], where they lived in comfort, with abundant grass for their horses. MEMBERSHIP FORM In the 1870’s white men found a pass into the valley and began infringing on Nez Perce 13 Indian land. By a corrupt treaty, which Joseph’s people had not signed, the Indians were ordered to leave the region. Joseph, a humane and statesmanlike leader, did all he could to avoid conflict, but other Nez Perces resisted and war broke out, culminating in an epic 1300-mile Sacred fighting retreat by the Indians across Idaho and Montana to within only thirty miles of the Canadian border and safety. There, heartbroken for his surrounded and suffering people, Joseph made his noble speech Lands of capitulation in 1877: “From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever.” A great American’s plea by Wallace Stegner, with Alvin M. Josephy, Jr., editor for his homeland resonates The American Heritage Book of Natural Wonders, 1963 today, a century after his death. The Wallowa Land Trust’s Indian Sacred Lands Program works with descendants of Chief Joseph and Nez Perce people to secure sacred lands Sacred Lands in their beloved Wallowa Valley. Your support is crucial to Wallowa this effort. Land Trust Indian Sacred Lands Program The Wallowa: Indian Country The Wallowa Land Trust is committed to the vision that For over 12,000 years the Wallowa Indian people will always call the Wallowa Country home. Country was home to the Wallowa band We need your financial support to transform that vision Nez Perce (the Walwaama). In 1855 into reality. Old Chief Joseph signed their first and only treaty with the United States, which The Trust’s Indian Sacred Lands Program helps secure reserved their Wallowa homeland as lands of special tribal importance. The Trust acquires part of the original Nez Perce Indian lands and conservation easements, and protects them in Reservation. perpetuity on behalf of Indian (and non-Indian) people; it also facilitates tribal acquisition of specific lands. In 1863 the government began stealing that land with a new “Thief” treaty which Chief Ollokot, Wallowa Chief Looking Glass, Wal- band war chief & brother These purchases are expensive. The Trust must raise the Wallowa band never signed, and lowa band ally from the of Young Joseph Clearwater Country just over $25 million for priority properties currently Old Chief Joseph (Tuekakas), which eventually led to war in 1877. threatened by development. This is a lot of money, but drawn by Pvt. Gustavus Sohon, every dollar counts, as most larger gifts to the Trust are Walla Walla Council, 1855 based on public support expressed in many smaller Today: Coming Home donations, which are effectively multiplied. Although the Nez Perce Tribe holds reserved treaty rights throughout the Please contribute to the Indian Sacred Lands Program Wallowa Country, few Indians have resided here in recent decades. Today, today. A tax-exempt organization, the Trust is funded Nez Perce people (Nimiipuu) are returning home. Some work for the Nez primarily by donations from individuals and families. Perce fisheries and wildlife departments to re-establish salmon runs and Gifts of all sizes are tax-deductible to the extent permitted SALMON protect wildlife within the region’s unique ecosystems. by law, and deeply appreciated. ART B Please visit our website: www.wallowalandtrust.org “A few years more and white men will be all around you. They have their eyes on this land. My son, never forget my dying words. This country holds your father’s body. Never sell the bones of your father “I buried him and your mother.” in that beautiful valley Old Joseph to his eldest son, of winding waters. Old Chief Joseph gravesite Young Joseph,1871 I love that land more than all the rest Archived Indian photos courtesy Nez Perce National Historical Park, National Park Service • Tamkaliks & landscape photos copyrighted by of the world.” David Jensen • Sohon drawing of Old Joseph courtesy Washington State Joseph Canyon Wallowa Lake Basin & Moraines Historical Society • Brochure design by SW Sprague Chief Joseph The tribe’s spiritual and historic affiliation with the Wallowa Lake Moraines and Upper Wallowa River Canyon is well estab- Tamkaliks, the annual Nez Perce gathering in the Wallowa (Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekht, lished. Much of the Wallowa Land Trust’s work is focused on these critical areas, including lands near the ancient Indian Thunder Traveling cemetery and gravesite of Old Chief Joseph, a centerpoint of cultural significance for Nez Perce people.Tribal concerns to Loftier extend to other cultural and religious sites throughout the mountains, valleys and canyons of the Wallowa Country, such as Mountain Heights) traditional fishing areas, encampments, burials and other sacred places. 1879.