| chief joseph | |
noun | |
| leader of the Nez Perce in their retreat from United States troops (1840-1904) [syn: Joseph] |
Chief of Oregon's Nez Perce Indians who led his people in the 1870s on a desperate attempt to reach Canada rather than submit to forcible settlement on a reservation. Forced to surrender to U.S. troops just south of the border, he reportedly stated: “Hear me my chiefs, I am tired: My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more.”