Synopsis
A brief biography of the famous Nez Percâe leader who led his people against the United States Army and lost, but won the respect of his own people as well as white generals ...
Francine Thomas - Children's Literature
Chief Joseph succeeds his father as leader of the peaceful Nez Perce people in the Wallowa Valley, now northeast Oregon and Idaho. It is a critical time in our nation's history. The rush of western expansion is fueled by the promises of the earlier 1804 Lewis and Clark Expedition. White settlers flood into the new territories looking for gold and free land as the United States Army forces Native Americans onto reservations. Chief Joseph believes the land belongs to everyone and that it is wrong for the United States to take over. He stands firm. His resolve earns him the respect of both his people and the white man and recognition as the conscience of his tribe in the 1870s. The author uses simple text arranged in short chapters. Sidebars highlight the role of the Christian religion as well as brief biographies of President Rutherford B. Hayes and the famous Civil War general, William Tecumseh Sherman. Captioned drawings and black and white photos further enhance the reader's understanding of this tumultuous period in American history. Complete with a useful time line, glossary and recommendations for websites and additional reading, this book is ideally suited for classroom study. Its inclusion in the "Native American Legends" series is appropriate as an elementary introduction of one important facet of America's infancy. 2004, Rourke Publishing, Ages 8 to 12.
Editorials
Children's Literature
Chief Joseph succeeds his father as leader of the peaceful Nez Perce people in the Wallowa Valley, now northeast Oregon and Idaho. It is a critical time in our nation's history. The rush of western expansion is fueled by the promises of the earlier 1804 Lewis and Clark Expedition. White settlers flood into the new territories looking for gold and free land as the United States Army forces Native Americans onto reservations. Chief Joseph believes the land belongs to everyone and that it is wrong for the United States to take over. He stands firm. His resolve earns him the respect of both his people and the white man and recognition as the conscience of his tribe in the 1870s. The author uses simple text arranged in short chapters. Sidebars highlight the role of the Christian religion as well as brief biographies of President Rutherford B. Hayes and the famous Civil War general, William Tecumseh Sherman. Captioned drawings and black and white photos further enhance the reader's understanding of this tumultuous period in American history. Complete with a useful time line, glossary and recommendations for websites and additional reading, this book is ideally suited for classroom study. Its inclusion in the "Native American Legends" series is appropriate as an elementary introduction of one important facet of America's infancy. 2004, Rourke Publishing, Ages 8 to 12.—Francine Thomas