Nez Perce Conflict of 1877

For a Ukranian translation by Fixgerald site (added 28 May 2022)

What is sometimes referred to as the "Nez Perce War of 1877," though more accurately called the "Conflict of 1877," actually began long before weapons of war were used. When the Treaty of 1863 was being negotiated with such Christianized leaders as Lawyer (appointed originally by Spalding and Stevens as "head chief), members of the Wallowa Band in northeast Oregon refused to cede their traditional homelands around Lake Wallowa.  Those lands had been acknowledged and secured in the Treaty of 1855. Compare the Treaty of 1863 with original Nez Perce Treaty of 1855.  Along with other non-Christian bands, the Wallowa band did not take part in signing a treaty that would eliminate their ancestral homelands from the newly reduced Nez Perce Reservation. See Joseph band.  The schism between the Christians and Traditionalists had manifested itself among the Nimíipuu. 

Interestingly, in 1873 President Grant, acknowledging some level of legitimacy in the argument put forward by the Wallowa bands, created the Wallowa Reservation for those bands not signing onto the Treaty of 1863.  But demands on the lands of the area from an influx of settlers caused President Grant to restore the area to public domain in 1875.

After a council with the non-treaty chiefs failed to persuade Wallowa bands to move to the new reservation, Gen. Oliver O. Howard gave a 30-day ultimatum demanding the Indians' prompt "voluntary" relocation." While the non-treaty chiefs such as Joseph, White Bird, and Looking Glass preparations to comply, a handful of young Nimíipuu warriors, seeking retribution for past transgressions, attacked and killed eighteen hostile white settlers trespassing and living along the Salmon River.   To view a map of the traditional lands and treaty boundaries of the tribe, and the meaning of the term "Nimíipuu".

Word of the attack quickly spread to Fort Lapwai and General Howard. Knowing that a successful Nimíipuu uprising could be contagious, General Howard, with no contact or direct knowledge of the situation, sent out 103 men from Fort Lapwai. Howard's goal was to effectively put an end to the killings and provide safety for the white settlers by "silencing" the Indians.  

Eagle-feather Staff: the Indian Flag, at the Big Hole Battle Site, 2001.  Each year members of the tribe return to commemorate and honor their deceased relatives and the events of 1877.

The soldiers first encountered the Nimíipuu at White Bird, resulting in the initial battle of the Nez Perce conflict. During the battle, the Nimíipuu let it be known that they were a force to be reckoned by defeating a third of General Howard's disorganized army with no losses of their own. After their victory at White Bird on June 17th, the Nimíipuu launched their three month 1,600 mile struggle to find aid and refuge. The war pitted the non-Treaty Nimíipuu bands against a force of 2,000 U.S. Army soldiers, citizen volunteers, and Indians from various tribes. You can listen to this honor or chief song recently sung at the White Bird Memorial (Recorded by Antonio Smith, June 1999).  

You will need RealPlayer to access the songs and video in this page. For a free version, .  

The three-month, 1,300 mile-long flight took Nimíipuu across the Bitterroot Mountains on the Idaho Montana border, through Yellowstone National Park, then north through Montana. While seeking the help first from the Flathead and then the Crows, the final objective was to find safety with Hunkpapa Sioux Chief Sitting Bull after crossing the U.S. Canada border. Although normally friendly to the Nimíipuu, neither the Flathead nor Crows wanted any part in this war. Some 750 non-treaty Nimíipuu were involved, only 250 of them were warriors, the rest were women, children, and elders. After their skillful victory at White Bird, the Nimíipuu and the U.S. Army were involved in five additional battles.

Chronology of Battle Events

Clearwater Battle, July 11-12: Though indecisive, the Nimíipuu forces were strengthened because the warrior Looking Glass and his band joined the fight.

Big Hole Battle, August 9: Some 90 Nimíipuu lives were lost in this battle, many of them women and children. Today, the Big Hole battlefield is a National Historical Site. You can listen to this flag song sung recently at the Big Hole Memorial in Montana (Recorded by Antonio Smith, August 1999). See map.

Otis Halfmoon recounts the story of the Big Hole Battle   (Located halfway down on the page, under 8 "MultiMedia" links; Interviewed by Dan Kane, August 2001)  Otis Halfmoon is a noted oral historian with the Nez Perce Tribe.