Fighting for Nez Perce Homeland

What was the primary reason the Nez Perce negotiated a treaty with white settlers in 1855?

• To protect their homeland peacefully

• To gain more land

• To adopt European customs

• To find gold

What event led to the U.S. federal government forcing the Nez Perce to give up more land after the 1855 treaty?

• Discovery of gold in the Plateau area

• Arrival of more settlers

• A conflict with another tribe

• A natural disaster

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.3

Why did some Nez Perce consider the second treaty illegitimate?

• Not all tribe members agreed to sign it

• It was signed under duress

• It was not written in their language

• It promised false benefits

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.8

What was Chief Joseph's main reason for surrendering at Bear Paw Mountain?

• To save the remaining Nez Perce

• To negotiate a better treaty

• To join forces with another tribe

• To avoid further travel

What was the outcome for the Nez Perce after Chief Joseph's surrender?

• They were confined to Fort Leavenworth as prisoners of war

• They were allowed to return to their homeland immediately

• They were given a new treaty with more land

• They were relocated to Canada

How did Chief Joseph appeal to the U.S. government after being confined?

• He requested to return to their ancestral lands

• He asked for more resources

• He sought an alliance with other tribes

• He demanded compensation

What is the significance of the Chief Joseph Days festival?

• It honors Chief Joseph as a powerful and inspiring leader

• It celebrates the Nez Perce's victory over U.S. troops

• It marks the return of the Nez Perce to their homeland

• It commemorates the signing of the 1855 treaty

Who are the Nez Perce?

• an Indigenous people from the Plateau region of North America

• an Indigenous people from the Gran Sabana region in Venezuela

• an Indigenous people from several South American countries

• an Indigenous people from the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil

What happened after the Nez Perce signed the 1855 treaty with European settlers?

• They weren’t allowed to use major water sources and their land suffered.

• They were forced to give up even more of their land through a second treaty.

• Their land stayed untouched and at the 7.5 million acres that it had been.

• Both sides came together and shared their ways of life with each other.

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RI.5.3

Read the following sentences from the text.

“On September 30, 1877—at Bear Paw Mountain, forty miles from the Canadian border—U.S. troops and the Nez Perce clashed for the last time. A few days later, Chief Joseph surrendered, hoping to save the four hundred fellow Nez Perce who remained….Then, in 1878, the Nez Perce prisoners were moved to a reservation in Oklahoma. Chief Joseph appealed to the U.S. military, to the U.S. president, and to the American people in general. He asked the U.S. federal government to allow his people to return to their ancestors’ lands. Not until 1885 were 268 Nez Perce permitted to return to the Plateau region in north-central Idaho, where they still live today.

What conclusion can you draw from this evidence?

• The U.S. government listened to Chief Joseph even though they disagreed with him.

• The Canadian government got involved at Bear Paw Mountain because it was close to their border.

• Immediately after Chief Joseph surrendered, the U.S. returned some of the Nez Perce ancestors’ lands to them.

• Chief Joseph repeatedly tried to help his people by protecting them and getting their land back.

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.1

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RI.5.8

CCSS.W.5.9A