Author Elliot West chronicles the life and journey of the Nez Perce people, in his fascinating novel The Last Indian War. While the Nez Perce were a diverse and prosperous people, one thing influenced their lives more than anything else, the horse.
“The Nez Perces got their first horses sometime during the first thirty years of the eighteenth century, probably from Shoshonis to the south. Tribal tradition says that a pregnant white mare became the seed of what in time became enormous herds” (West, 16).
However the species was first integrated into Nez Perce society, once the horse . The horse was exceedingly beneficial to the Nez Perce people before their exodus from their home land, and while they waged war against the Americans, however would eventually prove to be the downfall of the tribe. While the Nez Perce were quite a prosperous tribe before their acquisition of the horse, they would soon find that many facets of their life would drastically change for the better. With the integration of horses into their trading system they were not only able to trade much farther away, but much more often as well. The sudden arrival of the horse to the Nez Perce society can be compared to the creation of the transcontinental railroad to American society. Both equine and locomotive technologies were rapidly adopted into a culture, where they made immense changes _____. The ability to travel distances in fraction of the time has a extremely strong effect on a cultures trading habits. Similarly to the Americans' rail system, the horse allowed the Nez Perce to expand their trading routes, allowing for access to new resources that would otherwise be outside their reach. In his book, Elliot West states that “Dried bison meat became increasingly a staple of their diet” (West, 17). While adding bison meat to their diet may not seem like an overly drastic change for a Native American tribe, it symbolizes the new trading being done by horse capable Nez Perce. These are a people who for the most part have been living the same routines for century, collecting most of their resources from the valley in which they dwell. Consistent trade and the adoption of foreign resources into their daily lives shows a people that is becoming more outwardly aware, and building a functioning economy between various tribes. It is also important to note that this was not unusual ammong the various tribes as many of the Native people had already aquired horses by the time the Nez Perce did. However what the Nez Perce were able to accomplish with the horse was truelly extrordinary. Elliot West states that “They became one of the continent's greatest horse cultures” (West, 16). Through selective breeding the Nez Perce were able to create better and stronger horses that even the Europeans who first brought them to the country. Their skill with horses became widely known among natives and whites alike, serving to put their name on the map so to speak. As Elliot West suggests with his title The Last Indian War, the Nez Perces' idealic society does not last forever. When the U.S. Government forces the Nez Perce onto reservations many of the people refuse, turning a broken treaty into an all out war. While the United States obviously vastly outnumbered the Nez Perce, they found the tribe to be an extremley resiliant foe, mainly because of the Nez Perces' horses. For decades the tribe has been hunting buffalo and skirmishing neighboring tribes on horseback, which ensentially became the perfect training for a war againt the U.S. Army. In contrast the western outposts of U.S. Soldiers were unprepared for batlle after the recent Civil War. West states the in these outposts drills were rare and “Horsemanship was just as neglected”(West, 149). The Nez Perce warriors had manueverability and skill on their side, allowing them to turn the tides against an enemy with military tactics, better weapons, and more soldiers. The Army had no other option then to face the Nez
Related Documents: Essay The Nez Perce and Their Horses
breaking of peace treaties, and restrictions on their spiritual beliefs forever changed the Native American’s role in America. First I will like to talk about the Nez Perce people who are Native American people that lived in the Pacific Northwest and their struggles with the early settlers that lead to the Nez Perce war. The Nez Perce are Indians that in the 1800’s occupied parts of Washington, Oregon, Montana, and Idaho. They used the Snake, Salmon, and Clearwater rivers for their water and food…
is not the only language spoken on the reservation today. In the 1700’s the Plain Indians and their new source of travel by horse influenced Spokane Indians (“Spokane Indian Tribe”, n. d.). The Spokane Indians did not locally breed their horses; they are believed to trade them mainly with the Nez Percés, a near by Indian tribe (Ruby & Brown, 1970). The Spokane used horses to widen the range of their hunting searches, create tribal boundaries, and use in warfare (Ruby & Brown, 1970). Another aspect…
covered had with the new American people was in the Smallpox pandemic that devastated the western Native American population.2 Noted tribes encountered were the Arikaras, Assiniboins, Blackfeet, Chinooks, Clatsops, Hidatsas, Mandans, Missouris, Nez Perces, Otos, Shoshoni, Teton Sioux, Tillamooks, Walla Wallas, Wishrams, and Yankton Sioux.3 There was an importance placed on their interaction with the Sioux; this tribe was seen as exceedingly important for further American expansion. Interaction…
is the picture I chose for Quiz 1 on the movement of Americans to the West. In this picture you can see men picking up dead bodies and throwing them onto a horse drawn wagon. These bodies are dead Indian’s who have been massacred as a result of being overtaken by Americans settling the West. In the background, you can see other men on horses watching these men continue to load up all of the dead corpses from the invasion, or massacre. The caption in the lower right corner says, “Gathering up the…
Dryer climate Protected glasslands Nez Perze, Claymath Horses, Salmon, Appaloosa Hunting was male hobby Transportation was a lot of canoe and horses Camas (root crops) Marriages arranged by wives parents Coyote was the great creator Menstruation was a supernatural Never touched themselves, scratched with a stick Stayed in different houses and learned from other women to observe Salmon Land had little clear cut 147 – pierced nose - Nez Perce – past oregon into Idaho Never pierced…
Chapter 25 and 26 term sheet Chapter 25 1. Jane Adams - She was a pioneer settlement worker who founded the Hull House in chicago. She was a leader in woman sufferage and world peace. She was one of the biggest reformers in the progressive era and helped turn the nation to issues of concern to mothers, such as the need of children, public health, and world peace. She says that woman are responsible for cleaning up their communities and making them better places to live. 2. Florance Kelly - She…
citizenship including the right to vote (Document F). The Indian Removal Act of 1830 created more land for settlers by providing funds to relocate Indians. Many tribes learned and adapted to the culture of settling easterners. They learned to ride horses and shoot guns. To get food on their journey, settlers killed buffalo in the Great Plains. This impacted the Native Americans severely. Not only did the Indians use the buffalo for food, but used every part of the animal for things such as leather…
I called to them as I had done several times before that I would shoot them if they did not give me my horse and raised my gun, one of them jumped behind a rock and spoke to the other who turned arround and stoped at the distance of 30 steps from me and I shot him through the belly Fieldses returned with four of our horses; we left one of our horses and took four of the best of those of the indian's; while the men were preparing the horses I put four sheilds and two bows and quivers of arrows which had been left on the fire…
DBQ: Impact of Westward Expansion on Native Americans and the Role of Government Directions The following question requires you to construct a coherent essay that integrates your interpretation of Documents A–H and your knowledge of the period referred to in the question. High scores will be earned only for essays that both cite key pieces of evidence from the documents and draw on outside knowledge of the period. 1. Analyze the extent to which western expansion affected the lives of Native Americans…
symbolised bad luck. Rites among Native Americans tended to focus on aiding the deceased in their afterlife. Some tribes left food and possessions of the dead person in or near the gravesite. Other groups, such as the Nez Perce of the Northwest, sacrificed wives, slaves, and a favourite horse of a dead warrior. Cutting hair was typical for widows and mourners. Some Native Americans discarded personal ornaments or coloured their face black using charcoal or paint to honour the dead. Others will wound their…