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Article: Protector of the Nez Perce: chief Joseph of the Nez Perce tribe excelled as a military strategist, courageously fought as a warrior, and valiantly protected those entrusted to his care. (History-Struggle for Freedom).
- Article from:
- The New American
- Article date:
- July 15, 2002
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 American Opinion Publishing, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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They called themselves the "Nimipu" -- a name, like so many others taken by American Indian tribes, meaning simply "We People." Their territory extended across much of what would become northern Idaho and western Montana, but their home was the Wallowa Valley in what is now the northeastern corner of Oregon. In 1805, Twisted Hair, a Nimipu band chief, encountered explorers William Lewis and Merriwether Clark in the Weippe prairie of what is now northern Idaho. This amicable first contact enticed other Europeans into the region, including the French Canadian trappers who gave the Nimipu nation the name by which they are known: "Nez Perce."
The Nez Perce, like ...