Editing Nez Perce (section)

===Flight of the Nez Perce===
{{Further|Nez Perce War}}

[[File:Flight of the Nez Perce-1877-map.jpg|thumb|Map showing the flight of the Nez Perce and key battle sites]]
The Nez Perce were one of the tribal nations at the [[Walla Walla Council (1855)]] (along with the [[Cayuse people|Cayuse]], [[Umatilla people|Umatilla]], [[Walla Walla people|Walla Walla]], and [[Yakama]]), which signed the Treaty of Walla Walla.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Trafzer |first=Clifford E. |date=Fall 2005 |url=http://www.historycooperative.org/journals/ohq/106.3/trafzer.html |title=Legacy of the Walla Walla Council, 1955 |journal=Oregon Historical Quarterly |volume=106 |issue=3 |pages=398–411 |doi=10.1353/ohq.2005.0006 |s2cid=166019157 |issn=0030-4727 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070105201203/http://www.historycooperative.org/journals/ohq/106.3/trafzer.html |archive-date=January 5, 2007 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Under pressure from the [[European Americans]], in the late 19th&nbsp;century the Nez Perce split into two groups: one side accepted the coerced relocation to a reservation and the other refused to give up their fertile land in Washington and Oregon. Those willing to go to a reservation made a treaty in 1877. The flight of the non-treaty Nez Perce began on June&nbsp;15, 1877, with [[Chief Joseph]], [[Looking Glass (Native American leader)|Looking Glass]], [[White Bird (Native American leader)|White Bird]], [[Ollokot]], Lean Elk ([[Poker Joe]]) and [[Toohoolhoolzote]] leading 750 men, women and children in an attempt to reach a peaceful sanctuary. They intended to seek shelter with their allies the [[Crow people|Crow]] but, upon the Crow's refusal to offer help, the Nez Perce tried to reach the camp in Canada of [[Lakota people|Lakota]] Chief [[Sitting Bull]]. He had migrated there instead of surrendering after the Indian victory at the [[Battle of the Little Bighorn]].
[[File:Chief Joseph-3 weeks after surrender-Oct.1877.jpg|thumb|left|140px|[[Chief Joseph]], 1877]]

The Nez Perce were pursued by over 2,000 soldiers of the [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] on an epic flight to freedom of more than {{convert|1170|mi|km|-1}} across four states and multiple mountain ranges. The 250 Nez Perce warriors defeated or held off the pursuing troops in 18 battles, skirmishes, and engagements. More than 100 US soldiers and 100 Nez Perce (including women and children) were killed in these conflicts.<ref>Josephy, Jr., Alvin M. ''The Nez Perce and the Opening of the Northwest.'' New Haven: Yale University Press, 1965, pp. 632–633.</ref>

A majority of the surviving Nez Perce were finally forced to surrender on October&nbsp;5, 1877, after the [[Battle of Bear Paw|Battle of the Bear Paw Mountains]] in Montana, {{convert|40|mi}} from the Canada–US border. [[Chief Joseph]] surrendered to General [[Oliver O. Howard]] of the [[United States Cavalry|U.S. Cavalry]].<ref>{{cite web|publisher=U.S. Forest Service|title=Letters and Quotations of the Nez Perce Flight |url=http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/npnht/learningcenter/?cid=fsbdev3_055704|access-date=April 14, 2012}}</ref> During the surrender negotiations, Chief Joseph sent a message, usually described as a speech, to the US soldiers. It has become renowned as one of the greatest American speeches: "...Hear me, my chiefs, I am tired. My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever."<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Great Speeches|title=Chief Joseph Surrenders |url=http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/joseph.htm|access-date=April 14, 2012}}</ref>

Chief Joseph went to Washington, D.C., in January 1879 to meet with the President and Congress, after which his account was published in the ''[[North American Review]]''.<ref>Joseph, Young, and William H. Hare. “An Indian's Views of Indian Affairs.” The North American Review, vol. 128, no. 269, 1879, pp. 412–433. JSTOR,  www.jstor.org/stable/25100745. Accessed August 19, 2020.</ref>

The route of the Nez Perce flight is preserved by the [[Nez Perce National Historic Trail]].<ref>{{cite web|publisher=U.S. Forest Service|title=Maps of the Nez Perce National Historic Trail|url=http://www.fs.usda.gov/main/npnht/maps-pubs|access-date=April 14, 2012}}</ref> The annual Cypress Hills ride in June commemorates the Nez Perce people's attempt to escape to Canada.<ref>{{Cite web|url= http://www.horsesall.com/equine-horse-history/nez-perce-ride-to-freedom-713.html |title= Nez Perce Ride to Freedom | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080517105118/http://www.horsesall.com/equine-horse-history/nez-perce-ride-to-freedom-713.html |archive-date= May 17, 2008 |first1= Gail |last1= Praharenka |first2= Bernice |last2= Niemeyer}}</ref>