History

Heard as an audiobook at the same time I was reading Bruchac's Geronimo. The story is told by a teen boy, who becomes a man over the few years the story covers. The events show the many times Joseph did not want to fight, that the tribe had had good relations with white immigrants for years before the government started insisting they stay on a reservation instead of their usual annual journeys between locations most suitable for harvest & living over the seasons. Does mention actions of some hot-heads among the younger men of the tribe who made trouble, though it was in response to some hot-headed action of whites first.
The Nez Perce were often referred to by their native names, sometimes translated into English. I got the sense that a lot of the tale came from oral history of the Nez Perce themselves. They distinguished between the different Army leaders, trusting some, and describing different military manuevers. They recognized some interpreters who were more trustworthy. They would name the leaders who would be present at different councils, those who would lead different parts of the expeditions, those who were exceptionally brave or whose actions made the situation worse. One thing that led to their capture was they didn't consider the rapid communication provided by telegraph, so their assessment of their ability to flee to Canada didn't consider military units which could come in front of them, only the ones behind. The Nez Perce mourned every member who died, the numbers of women and children who were killed or wounded. Every loss was felt. ( )