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Synopsis
For thousands of years, the Nez Perce people lived in the valleys of the Columbia River where the states of Idaho, Washington, and Oregon meet. Today, the Nez Perces live on reservations throughout the Northwest. Where once Nez Perce lands stretched over 17 million acres, treaties with the U.S. government shrank the tribe's holdings to a fraction of their former size. The government also seized the Nez Perces' beloved Wallowa Valley, forcing them to choose between reservation life and living on the run. With their leader Chief Joseph, the Nez Perces led the U.S. Army on a chase of over 1,600 miles and through fourteen battles before, exhausted and starving, the Indians were caught. Today, the Nez Perces are trying to regain the Wallowa Valley. This book describes an ancient people's rich past and culture and shows how they are passing on their traditions to the next generation.
Children's Literature
At one time, the Nez Perce tribe was the largest and most powerful of the numerous tribes living in the mountains of the western United States. Today, there are three thousand members of the Nez Perce tribe, over half of them living on the reservation. The culture of this amazing tribe is explored in four chapters discussing their origins, history, traditional way of life and their life today. Fact boxes in a cinnamon color highlight subjects of interest throughout the chapters. The text is easily understandable yet provides plenty of detail to those looking for it. Fabulous black-and-white photographs combined with contemporary color prints, illustrations and maps will teach and entertain even non-readers, and the written captions accompanying them are top notch. A substantial time line and glossary are located at the end along with a page listing resources for further research (Web sites, videos and books). Another page suggests things to do and think about, such as forming a treaty council and having a mock debate or drawing pictures of Appaloosa horses and noting the differences between them and other varieties. This book would be an excellent resource for any child doing a book report or for general reading in an elementary school library or classroom. Part of the "Native American Peoples" series that also includes the titles of Apache, Cree and Cheyenne. 2003, Gareth Stevens Publishing, Carolan