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• To read and analyze a speech by a Native American chief who has decided to cease fighting

• To identify and describe the tone of a speech

Chief Joseph was born around 1840 and died in 1904.

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The Long Trek to CanadaChief Joseph tried to take his people from Oregon to Canada because he felt he had no choice. From June 17 to September 30, 1877, he led some two hundred warriors and their families on the journey. The warriors fought off pursuing federal troops, despite being outnumbered at least ten to one. Because of his constant attention to the needs of the women, children, and aged among his people, because of his humane treatment of prisoners, and because of his honorable behavior in victory and defeat, Chief Joseph won many admirers and supporters among Native Americans and whites.

BACKGROUND

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FOCUS ACTIVITYJournalWrite about a time when you had to defend yourself, either physically or verbally. How did you handle the situation?

Setting a PurposeRead to understand a man’s defense of his decisions.

A Active Reading

RespondChief Joseph’s speech is written in a series of sentences with similar grammatical structures.

What response do these sentences evoke?

Naming many of the people who have died and repeating the words “is dead” helps you understand the enormity of his loss.

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Personal Response

Analyzing Literature

Literary Elements

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PERSONAL RESPONSEIf you could speak to Chief Joseph, what would you say to him?

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What has happened to the chiefs and the old men of the tribe? Who is left to carry on the fight? In your opinion, how might these developments have affected Chief Joseph’s decision?

The chiefs and the old men have all died. The young men must carry on the fight. Chief Joseph may believe that it is up to a new generation to decide what to do next.

RECALL AND INTERPRET

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What other reasons does Chief Joseph give for his decision? What can you infer about his values and his character, based on these reasons?

He wants to look for the children, and he is tired and full of sorrow. His desire to save the remainder of his people reveals that he is a kind and honorable person.

RECALL AND INTERPRET

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What words does Chief Joseph use to describe his heart? How do the feelings he describes help you better understand the decision he has made?

His heart is “sick” and “sad.” The feelings he describes make his decision to cease fighting more understandable.

RECALL AND INTERPRET

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In your words, restate the last sentence of Chief Joseph’s speech.

Possible answer: From this moment on, I will never fight again.

RECALL AND INTERPRET

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What words and phrases does Chief Joseph repeat? What is the effect of this repetition?

He repeats the words “is dead” and “freezing to death,” which reinforces his sorrow and feelings of helplessness over the deaths of many of his people.

RECALL AND INTERPRET

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EVALUATE AND CONNECTIn this short speech, Chief Joseph explains a decision that will have an enormous impact on the lives of his people. Do you think a longer, more detailed speech would have been more effective or more convincing? Why or why not?

Possible answer: The speech is very effective in expressing his feelings. The shortness of the speech implies that he is too tired to say more.

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EVALUATE AND CONNECTChief Joseph was a brave, proud warrior. In your opinion, what inner qualities did he summon in order to accept defeat with dignity? Explain.

Possible answer: His inner qualities include courage, faith, and honor.

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EVALUATE AND CONNECTAfter reading Chief Joseph’s speech, can you imagine a different solution to a time you had to defend yourself? Explain.

Possible answer: Walking away from confrontation can be honorable.

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• Tone is the writer’s attitude toward the subject of a work.

LITERARY ELEMENTS

• The tone of a piece of writing conveys one or more emotions.

• Writers create the tone of a work primarily through word choice, but sentence structure and length can also be important.

• For example, Chief Joseph’s use of brief sentences and simple, direct language emphasizes the overwhelming sense of loss.

LITERARY ELEMENTS

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Phrases may include “I am tired of fighting,” “I am tired; my heart is sick and sad,” and “From where the sun now stands I will fight no more forever.”

What words and phrases help create a tone that is weary, resigned, and sad, yet dignified?

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“The old men are all dead” is one example of a brief sentence that adds to the sad, resigned tone of the speech.

Find examples of simple, direct language and brief sentences. How do they affect the tone of the speech?

LITERARY ELEMENTS

tired, sick, sad, freezing, dead

short, succinct sentences, such as “I am tired; my heart is sick and sad” and “Maybe I shall find them

among the dead”

sad, discouraged, resigned to surrender