Annotated Bibliography

A

Ackerman, Lillian A.
1996 A Song to the Creator. Traditional Arts of Native American Women of the Plateau. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, Publishing Division of the University. Canada. This book includes articles by and interviews with present-day Plateau artists and articles by scholars studying the traditional art forms of Plateau people; storytelling, music, weaving, hide work, quill work, and beading. The 32 color and 58 black-and-white illustrations demonstrate the range of geometric and representational designs on coiled baskets and basketry hats, cornhusk and twined grass bags, beaded and porcupine quill clothing, beaded cradleboards, and a number of clothing articles. A Nez Perce interviews the women artists, including three Nez Perce artists; there's also a section on a Nez Perce musician. This is an excellent source for information on Plateau women.

Adkinson, Norman B.
1966 Nez Perce Indian War and Original Stories. Grangeville, Idaho: Idaho County Free Press. This 49-page book offers numerous first-hand accounts of the 1877 Nez Perce War from both sides, Indian and military. Better balanced than most of the older books. Quotes and recollections are taken from previously published sources, such as "War Chief Joseph."

Aegerter, Mary, and Russell, Steve F.
2002 Hike Lewis and Clark's Idaho. Moscow, Idaho: University of Idaho Press. This is a guide for visitors to the Lewis and Clark corridor through Idaho who want to hike in the same wild country where Lewis and Clark met the Nez Perce. The trails in this book, from trailheads accessible by most vehicles, will take hikers into forests, mountains, and meadows that remain virtually the same as what Lewis and Clark found two centuries ago. The 200-page book includes descriptive text and a topographic map for each trail, along with historical and natural descriptions of the area. Only maintained trails are included.

Ambrose, Stephen E.
1996 Undaunted Courage. New York: Simon & Schuster. One of the latest and, considered by some, greatest books retelling the story of the Lewis & Clark Expedition. Ambrose gives considerable attention to Meriwether Lewis, including theories on his tragic death in 1809. Two chapters are devoted to the expedition's time spent among the Nez Perce.

Aoki, Haruo
1979 Nez Perce Texts. Berkeley: University of California Publication in Linguistics. Vol. 90. Aoki's work is considered instrumental in helping to preserve the Nez Perce language. The text starts out with some brief information on the location of the Nez Perce, information on their language, various dialects, myth vocabulary, and his system for recording the language. Aoki records 11 myths and interviews with Nez Perce from an ethnographic standpoint. A very informative, well documented book.

1980 Titwa'atit (Nez Perce Stories). Anchorage: National Bilingual Materials Development Center, University of Alaska. Aoki collected 10 Nez Perce legends and recorded them in both English and Nez Perce using his orthography to accommodate the Nez Perce language, which historically is an oral tradition.

Arneson, Kathryn.
1993 Nez Perce Flat Twined Bags: A Study of Symbols. Unpublished Master's thesis. University of Idaho. Moscow, Idaho. Arneson examines the artistic medium of flat twined bags with special emphasis on the life experiences of the women who produced them. Arneson describes the techniques of manufacture, materials and dyes used, and various designs. Excellent research on Nez Perce twined bags.

Axtell, Horace and Margo Aragon
1997 A Little Bit of Wisdom: Conversations With A Nez Perce Elder. Lewiston, ID: Confluence Press. This book has been described as more than an autobiography -l the story is the document of a people's struggle. It provides the memoirs of a Nez Perce elder and spiritual leader, and recounts his family's experiences during the Nez Perce War of 1877.

B

Beal, Merrill D.
1973 I Will Fight No More Forever. New York: Ballantine Books Beal presents more of a military history of the conflict. Good accounting of the day-to-day movement and actions on both sides, as well as in-depth battle analysis. Well researched and well written.

Brown, Mark H.
1967 Flight of the Nez Perce. New York: G.P. Putnam & Sons. Although his book contains historical insight into the Nez Perce tribe, the focus is on the military aspects of the 1877 conflict. Drawn primarily from contemporary written records with quotes from reports, diaries, reminiscences, first hand accounts, and newspapers and periodicals. Includes a good bibliography.

Buck, Henry.
1925 The Story of the Nez Perce Indian Campaign During the Summer of 1877. Manuscript in the Montana Historical Society Library, Helena, Montana. An early settler in the Bitterroot Valley, Buck Henry offers a first-hand account of military and Nez Perce events from the viewpoint of a civilian volunteer drawn into the midst of the action. Henry was with Col. Gibbon when the 7th Cavalry attacked the Nez Perce at Big Hole in August of 1877. Fairly well balanced, considering his role in the conflict.

C

Cave, Will.
1926 Nez Perce Indian War of 1877 and the Battle of the Big Hole. Published by the Missoulian, Missoula, Montana. Will Cave was a civilian volunteer who took part in the Nez Perce War on the side of the military. Cave traveled with Gibbon's 7th Cavalry as they pursued the Nez Perce through the Bitterroot Valley and engaged them in the Battle of the Big Hole. He offers a well balanced, in-depth narrative of those events. Includes interesting local history as well.

Chalmers II, Harvey.
1962 The Last Stand of the Nez Perce. New York: Twayne Publishers. A well balanced story that uses numerous quotes from other sources, including L.V. McWhorter, Helen Howard and Dan McGrath, Chester Fee, and General O.O. Howard. Good in-depth history, but still focuses on Joseph and his mythical role as sole leader of the Nez Perce during the flight of 1877.

Cous, Elliott. ed.
1893 History of the Expedition Under the Command of Lewis and Clark. New York: Francis P. Harper. Excellent work using the journals of Lewis and Clark to describe their travels and first contact with the Nez Perce in 1805, as well as their return encounter in 1806. Useful in understanding this early contact between Euro-Americans and the Nez Perce.

D

Devoto, Bernard
1981 The Journals of Lewis and Clark. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. Originally published in 1954, this is the edited version of the Devoto's work with the L&C journals, which include portions pertaining to the expedition's experience with the Nez Perce Indians in 1805 and 1806. Useful in understanding the Expedition's interaction with the Nez Perce and their feelings toward the Indians who helped save their lives.

Drury, E.M.
1936 Henry Harmon Spalding. Caldwell: The Caxton Printers, Ltd. Drury offers a good discussion on the early missionary period. Henry Spalding had a profound effect upon the lives of many Nez Perce, and this book shows why and how.

E

Evans, Steven R.
1996 Voice Of The Old Wolf: Lucullus Virgil McWhorter And The Nez Perce Indians. Pullman: Washington State University Press. Evans does a very nice job of allowing readers to enter the minds and world of the non-treaty Nez Perce during those years after their return from exile in Oklahoma in 1885. McWhorter was more than a historian; he was a close friend and brother to the Nez Perce, especially Yellow Wolf. His writings have been captured eloquently in Evans' work, enabling the reader to experience the Nez Perce people in a whole new light. This is one of the most informed books on the Nez Perce.

F

Fee, Chester A.
1936 Chief Joseph: Biography of a Great Indian. New York: Wilson Ericson, Inc. Fee's work presents a good background study of the Nez Perce as a tribe, as well as Joseph's early years. Traces the coming of white miners and settlers and the problems that resulted. Some of the dialogue is contrived, creating the feel of "historical fiction." Like so many of his era, Fee uses Joseph as the focal point of the story. The battle segments are told primarily from the military viewpoint. Contains a good bibliography.

Fisher, Ronald K.
1992 Thunder in the Mountains. The Story of the Nez Perce War. Coeur d' Alene, ID: Alpha Omega. One more version of the story surrounding the Nez Perce people from their beginnings to the War of 1877 and its conclusion.

G

Garcia, Andrew. ed. Bennett H. Stein
1967 Tough Trip Through Paradise. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin Company. Garcia's book offers a first-hand account of life in the West as he experienced it during the 1870s. His wife, In-who-lise, was among those camped at the Big Hole when Gibbon's forces attacked on August 9, 1877. Though injured, she fled with the rest of the non-treaty bands and eventually escaped to Canada with a number of Nez Perce following the final battle at Bear's Paw. She returned to the Big Hole battlefield two years later with Garcia, in hopes of finding the grave of her father, Grey Eagle, who was killed in the 1877 battle. Interesting insight into the day-to-day life of a white man living among the Indians.

Gay, E. Jane
1981 With the Nez Perce: Alice Fletcher in the Field, 1889-92. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. Gay provides a remarkable and well-written account of Nez Perce culture under stress, and of problems of land allocation. She documents the land allocation era with her letters, which provide a rare first-hand account of the actual application of the Dawes Act while offering insights into a phase of Nez Perce history typically neglected by the historians. The book goes a step further in shedding light on women in the late 19th century by providing a record of the activities of two extraordinary individuals who ventured out West. In this collection of letters, Gay describes Alice Fletcher and her encounters with feuding agents, hostile white squatters, and a Nez Perce Tribe divided over and puzzled by this latest government program. This is a nice follow-up to the rest of the story after the war of 1877.

Gibbon, John.
1895 Battle of the Big Hole. Harper's Weekly, XXXIX (December 21 & 28), 1215-1216 & 1235-1236. Col. Gibbon's account of the attack and battle he initiated on August 9, 1877, against the non-treaty bands of Nez Perce camped along the Big Hole River. Fairly well balanced, considering his direct involvement and military perspective on the conflict.

Gidley, Mick
1981 Kopet. A Documentary Narrative of Chief Joseph's Last Years. Seattle: University of Washington Press. Gidley attempts to bring Chief Joseph, in the long exile of the reservation years, into focus by using photographs, letters, and newspaper accounts of the time. Kopet combines narrative and documentary material (including previously unpublished items by Joseph himself) with a generous selection of illustrations, many photographs that have not been published before. The book is a must-read and comes across as very objective.

Greene, Jerome A.
2000 Nez Perce Summer 1877, The U.S. Army and The Nee-Me-Poo Crisis. Helena, Montana: Montana Historical Society Press, 554 pages. This book tells the story of a people's epic struggle to survive -- spiritually, culturally, and physically -- in the face of unrelenting military force. Written by one of the foremost experts in frontier military history and reviewed by members of the Nez Perce tribe, the book examines the successive armed encounters between U.S. Army troops and a desperate body of Indians during the long summer of 1877. Enhanced by 16 detailed maps and 49 historic photographs, including rare contemporary images of the combatants, this definitive treatment of the Nez Perce War is the first to incorporate research from all known Nez Perce and U.S. military participant accounts. Jerome A. Greene's gripping narrative takes his readers on a 3�-month, 1700-mile journey across the wilds of Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana territories. All of the skirmishes and battles of the war receive detailed treatment, based on Greene's research and both U.S. Army and Nez Perce sources; they benefit from his astute analyses of both sides' strategies and decision-making. Greene explains the roots of the conflict, grounded in decades of federal government land grabs and white settlers' bad treatment of the Indians. Greene chronicles the war's eruption along the Salmon River in its first major battle at White Bird Canyon, the folly of the Army's attack on Looking Glass's camp, General Oliver O. Howard's subsequent hollow victory at Clearwater, and the Nez Perce's dramatic escape over the Lolo Trail. The tragic engagement at the Big Hole, described by General Philip H. Sheridan "as one of the most desperate engagements on record," became emblematic of the war. Following the story through the little-known skirmish at Camas Meadows, Greene untangles the Nez Perce's mysteriously circuitous route through the newly created Yellowstone National Park and describes their thwarted plan to seek refuge among the Crows. The damaging fight at Canyon Creek, during which the Nez Perce lost a large part of their horse herd, critically delayed their progress toward Canada and thus substantially contributed to the Army's final victory. At Cow Island, on the Missouri River, the determined tribesmen raided government stores to resupply themselves before pressing on to the Bear's Paw Mountains, one of the most dramatic confrontations of the Indian wars, ending with the surrender to Colonel Nelson A. Miles by Chief Joseph and his people and the escape to Canada of White Bird and approximately 200 of his followers. Between 100 and 150 of the more than 800 Nez Perce men, women, and children who began the trek were killed during the war. Almost as many died in the months following the surrender, after they were exiled to malaria-ridden northeastern Oklahoma. Army deaths numbered 113. The casualties, on both sides, were an extraordinary price for a war that nobody wanted, but its history has intrigued generations of Americans.

Guie, Heister Dean and Lucullus V. McWhorter
1935 Adventures in Geyserland. Caldwell, ID: The Caxton Printers, Ltd. This work is reprinted from Frank Carpenter's 1878 publication "The Wonders of Geyser Land." Carpenter, a member and organizer of the Radersburg party, was among two groups captured by the Nez Perce Indians during their flight through Yellowstone in August of 1877. Testimonies are offered by several members of the two parties, including Mrs. Cowen and John Shively. This book offers an interesting look at the events that transpired in Yellowstone, taken from direct accounts of those involved. Because it's been long out of print, this book can be hard to find.

Gullick, Bill
1981 Chief Joseph Country. Caldwell, ID: The Caxton Printers, Ltd. A wonderful "coffee table" book. Gullick begins by vividly describing the homeland of the Nez Perce, then goes on to capture their history, including the arrival of the horse, the Lewis & Clark Expedition, missionaries, traders, the war years, exile in Oklahoma (Eeikish Pah), return of exiles to Idaho and Washington, the land allotment through the twilight years at Colville (1885-1904), and the Nez Perce people through 1980.

H

Hines, Donald
1984 Tales of the Nez Perce. Fairfield, WA: Ye Gallon Press. An interesting book consisting of a collection of older traditional tales.

Haines, Aubrey L.
1991 An Elusive Victory - The Battle of the Big Hole. West Glacier, MT: Glacier Natural History Association. Haines concentrates primarily on events and actions surrounding both the military and the non-treaty Nez Perce before, during, and after the Battle of the Big Hole, August 9-10, 1877. In-depth details of the battle, as well as the fear and turmoil.

Hampton, Bruce.
1994 Children of Grace. New York: Henry Holt and Company, Inc. An excellent book on the Nez Perce conflict of 1877. Hampton draws upon original documents, including letters, diaries, manuscripts, and previously overlooked oral histories, to provide an overview of this tragic story in a fast-moving, interesting, and comprehendible fashion. Greater detail focused on the mindset and actions of the military participants than on the Indians, due no doubt to the availability of written military records. Hampton shifts the focus away from Chief Joseph, so often considered the sole leader of the non-treaty Nez Perce, and gives credit to the other chiefs involved. An excellent book for someone wanting a broad overview of the Nez Perce flight.

Howard, Helen Addison and Dan L. McGrath.
1952 War Chief Joseph. Caldwell, ID: The Caxton Printers, Ltd. The introduction calls this a biography. The focus is on Joseph as the lone leader of the Nez Perce, a concept long since proven inaccurate. Very dated and somewhat narrow interpretation of the 1877 war. Does contains a comprehensive and very useful bibliography.

Howard, Helen Addison
1965 Saga of Chief Joseph. Caldwell, ID: The Caxton Printers, Ltd. With the exception of a brief introductory history of Joseph's Nez Perce homeland, this is essentially the same book Howard and McGrath published as "War Chief Joseph" in 1952. The bibliography is still useful and has been updated.

Howard, Otis Oliver.
1881 Nez Perce Joseph. An Account of His Ancestors, His Lands, His Confederates, His Enemies, His Murders, His War, His Pursuit and Capture. Boston: Lee & Shepard. Considered by some to be the most important single work done on the military aspect of the Nez Perce War. General Howard's account differs from his official accounts of the war, due perhaps to the prior publication of Chief Joseph's version of the events of 1877. Don't look to this book for a balanced account of the war, but it does present interesting insight into the thoughts and actions of a man more often ridiculed than praised during the Nez Perce campaign.

1907 My Life and Experiences Among Our Hostile Indians. Hartford, CT: A.D. Worthington & Co. A record of General Howard's personal observations, adventures, and campaigns among the Indians of the West, including the Nez Perce. Offers some insight into their habits, traits, religion, ceremonies, dress, and customs in peace and war, all from Howard's noticeably biased point of view. Illustrated.

I

Idaho Centennial Commission
1992 Idaho Indians Tribal Histories. Boise: Idaho Museum of Natural History. A short history of the Native Americans by Native Americans, their version, about each tribe residing on a reservation in Idaho. This of course includes the Nez Perce.

J

James, Caroline
1996 Nez Perce Women in Transition. Moscow: University of Idaho Press. This book provides a look into the lives and contributions of Nez Perce women as they struggled to maintain their families and communities in times of great change. It includes unique individual accounts recorded directly from personal interviews with Nez Perce women ranging in age from 20 to 90. The narratives, in combination with a broad selection of photographs, present some of the major historical, political, and cultural changes that have occurred, and provide an opportunity to view Nez Perce women as they made and continue to make transitions. This a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the important role women played - and continue to play - in the tribe .

Jassem, Kate
1979 Chief Joseph Leader of Destiny. Troll Associates. A children's book for ages 9-13. This 48-page book is well illustrated and provides a concise and understandable story behind the events surrounding Nez Perce War of 1877.

Jones, Judith
1995 Women Never Used to War Dance: Gender and Music in Nez Perce Culture Change. Doctoral dissertation. Washington State University. Pullman. Jones' dissertation explores the processes of Nez Perce culture change and examines their effects on both music and women's roles. She first presents a synopsis of the traditional Nez Perce way of life and culture change through the 19th century, then focuses on the relationship between Nez Perce music and the traditional way of life, and between musical practices and social change until around 1900. She goes on to give an overview of the ways in which Nez Perce music and women's roles reflect and express both persistence and change in the twentieth century. The musical experiences of one Nez Perce woman are also captured. This is a wonderful piece of research.

Joseph, Chief.
1879 Chief Joseph's Own Story. North American Review, April. Chief Joseph:s own words describing the events of 1877. This lacks the detail offered in McWhorter's Yellow Wolf, but is still insightful and interesting. Writings such as this helped the country to better understand and sympathize with the plight of the Nez Perce, and may have helped them achieve their release from exile in 1885.

Josephy, Alvin J. Jr.
1965 The Nez Perce and the Opening of the Northwest. New Haven: Yale University Press. Excellent work covering the history and culture of the Nez Perce people and Northwest tribes, including the Cayuse and Walla Walla, Chief Joseph's band, and others. Focuses less on the events of 1877 than other sources and more on the cultural and historical aspects of the Nez Perce tribe. Solid research. Good bibliography.

L

Landee, Dan and Jeremy Crow.
1997 A Nez Perce Nature Guide. I'm of This Land. Wetes pe m'e wes. Clarkston, WA: Western Printing. Section One of this book provides an overview of the culture of the Nez Perce, describing their values and stories, as well as the use of plant and animal resources, hunting and fishing. Section two discusses historical use of resources on the Columbia Plateau and Nez Perce history with regard to Hanford. Section three talks about Hanford wildlife. The Nez Perce Treaty of 1855 is part of the appendix. The Nez Perce Tribe produced this book.

Laughy, Linwood.
1993 In Pursuit of the Nez Perce: The Nez Perce War of 1877. Wrangell, AK: Meadow Mountain Press. Laughy's book comprises three sections: Part I: General O.O. Howard describes both the activities that preceded the war and the campaign against the non-treaty Nez Perce. Compiled from his previous work under the title Nez Perce Joseph. Part II: Duncan McDonald, a Nez Perce descendent and reporter for the New Northwest, relies on interviews with Nez Perce refugees from the 1877 flight to tell the story from the Nez Perce point of view. Part III: Chief Joseph provides a brief history of his people, explains the causes of the 1877 conflict from the Nez Perce point of view, and states the conditions that would lead to a meaningful peace for Native Americans throughout North America. This part, titled In-mut-too-yah-lat-lat Speaks, is taken from Joseph's original work, Chief Joseph's Own Story. This book offers a nice compendium of historical resources and voices of the Nez Perce story.

Lavender, David
1992 Let Me Be Free. A Nez Perce Tragedy. New York: Doubleday Publishing, Inc. David Lavender is considered a veteran chronicler of the American West who has used his writings to clear up misconceptions about the Nez Perce tragedy. The books offers a compelling account of a tragic period in Nez Perce history, beginning with their encounter with a ragged band of white explorers and culminating on the cold, windswept plains north of the Bear's Paw Mountains in Montana.

M

McBeth, Kate C.
1908 The Nez Perces Since Lewis and Clark. New York. A devout Presbyterian, McBeth arrived on the Lapwai Reservation just two years after the 1877 Nez Perce conflict. Her writings are first and foremost a tribute to the work of Presbyterian missionaries, such as Marcus Whitman, Henry Spalding, and her sister, Sue McBeth. She deals with the Nez Perce Indians from the context of the mission environment at Lapwai, Idaho in the late 1800s.

McDermott, John D.
1978 Forlorn Hope, the Battle of Whitebird Canyon and the Start of the Nez Perce War. Boise: Idaho Historical Society. McDermott focuses on the events that triggered the first armed conflict between the military and the non-treaty Nez Perce at White Bird Canyon, Idaho. Well researched using primary documentation wherever possible. Interesting quotations from people involved in this confrontation are included at the start of each chapter.

McFarland, Sandi
1992 Tsoop-Nit-Pa-Lu and A Corridor of Change. Evolution of An Ancient Travel Route Nee-Me-Poo Trail. Unpublished Master's thesis. University of Idaho, Moscow. McFarland's thesis identifies the utilization of the Nee-Me-Poo Trail through time with an emphasis on prehistory. It provides a basis for a strategic approach, tying together pertinent information to arrive at a meaningful comprehensive management plan for the trail on the Clearwater National Forest.

McLeod, Milo C.
1984 A Cultural History of the Lolo Trail. Unpublished Master's thesis. University of Montana, Missoula. McLeod's thesis uses a holistic approach in identifying extent portions of the Lolo Trail that currently exist in Montana. McLeod used intensive historical, archaeological, and ethnological research to identify and interpret sites and features associated with this national historic landmark.

McWhorter, Lucullus Virgil.
1940 Yellow Wolf: His Own Story. Caldwell: The Caxton Printers, Ltd. One of the few first-hand accounts of the 1877 war from a Nez Perce participant. Offers depth and detail available from few other sources. Yellow Wolf's participation in the conflict from start to finish makes him an unparalleled resource for insight into this story as told from the Indians' side. Great photographs of locations and people, including Yellow Wolf, McWhorter, and the various battle sites they revisited in the 1920s. Contains lengthy appendices, a good bibliography, and a glossary of Nez Perce terms.

1952 Hear Me, My Chiefs. Caldwell: The Caxton Printers, Ltd. A must-read for anyone interested in the Nez Perce and/or the events of 1877. McWhorter's close association and friendship with several of the Nez Perce people, many of whom were survivors of the war, allowed him to bring this nearly first-hand account to life. In many cases his research and interviews were conducted at sites where the events took place while talking with the people directly involved, such as Yellow Wolf. McWhorter approaches this work through the eyes and mind of the Indian. As he states in the introduction, "It is an Indian history, told from the Indian point of view, and depends largely upon Indian sources." Good ethnographic content. Contains numerous photographs and an excellent bibliography.

Matulka, Robert D.
1960 The Battle of the Bear's Paw Between the US Army and the Nez Perce Indians, 30 September - 5 October, 1877. Microfilm #. Montana Historical Society, Helena. Message from the President of the United States communicating an answer to a Senate resolution of November 13, 1877, information in relation to the cause and probable cost of the Nez Perce war. 45th Congress, 2nd session, Executive Document, No.14.

Miles, Nelson Appleton.
1897 Personal Recollections and Observations of Nelson A. Miles. Chicago: Werner Co. The thoughts and memories of General Miles, embracing a brief view of the Civil War and the story of his Indian campaigns, including the Nez Perce in 1877. It was Miles who accepted the surrender of Chief Joseph at the Bear's Paw battlefield in October 1877 and promised the Nez Perce would be returned to their homelands. This book offers insight into the conflict from a military point of view.

Moeller, Bill and Jan
1995 Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce. Missoula, MT: Mountain Press Publishing Company. Through full color photographs and engaging text, Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce traces the actual route the Indians followed on their 1,500-mile epic flight from the U.S. Cavalry in 1877. Each event in the journey is chronicled in the text and brought into view by color photographs of the locations where it all took place.

N

National Park Service
1983 Nez Perce Country. Divisions of Publications, National Park Service. Washington, D.C. Part One of this handbook gives a brief introduction to Nez Perce National Historical Park in Idaho and its environs. Part Two, authored by Alvin Josephy, Jr., tells the history of the Nez Perce and their interaction with traders, trappers, missionaries, settlers, and soldiers. Part Three provides general advice to travelers and a guide to sites in Nez Perce Country. A very reliable, resourceful book.

Noyes, Alva J.
1966 The Story of Ajax: Life in the Big Hole Basin. Helena: State Publishing Company. Although not directly related to the story of the Nez Perce flight of 1877, this book offers insight into the settlement and lifestyle of the Big Hole Valley in and around the time of the conflict.

O

Osinski, Alice
1988 The Nez Perce. Chicago: Children�s Press. The author has done a nice job in creating this children's book for ages 9-13. The book reveals the history of the Nez Perce, capturing their livelihood of fisherman and hunter-gatherer, their weaving and house building, guardian spirits, horsemanship, trading, raiding, warfare, the Nez Perce flight, and modern life. A number of color photographs accompany the text. 45 pages with large print.

R

Ramsey, Jarold
1977 Coyote Was Going There. Indian Literature of The Oregon Country. Seattle: University of Washington Press. The book contains an anthology of often-inaccessible legends originally transcribed and translated by scholars such as Archie Phinney, Melvin Jacobs, and Franz Boas. Legends are recorded for Indian people of the Oregon Country, with Part One covering 13 Nez Perce legends.

Ronda, James P.
1984 Lewis and Clark Among the Indians. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. This book describes what happens when people from different cultures meet and interact. Ronda has done a nice job of explaining this interaction through his use of the journals and other documents. They help to give the reader an understanding of the Indians and whites meeting as two cultures. Very well researched and considered by many to be the first ethno-history of the expedition. Ronda devotes almost three chapters to the Nez Perce and their experiences with Lewis and Clark.

Ross, Alexander.
1956 Fur Hunters of the Far West. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. Useful as a background source for ethnographic interpretations and information on the Nez Perce and other Northwest tribes. Ross gained his knowledge while serving as a clerk with the Northwest Company and the Hudson's Bay Company. Ross describes his contact with the Nez Perce Indians, one of several tribes he encountered in his travels during the 1820s.

S

Schneider, Bill
1988 The Flight of the Nez Perce. Helena: Falcon Press Publishing Company. This children's book is 30 pages long and serves to highlight the flight of the Nez Perce for kids ages 8-12. It has a number of illustrations and is quite accurate in its historical depiction of the 1877 conflict.

Schonberg, Wilfred
1994 Lapwai Mission Press. Boise: Idaho Center for the Book. Tells about the printing press that Reverend Henry Spalding used to translate the Nez Perce language into English.

Schrimsher, Leda S.
1967 Native Foods Used by the Nez Perce Indians of Idaho. Unpublished Master's thesis. University of Idaho. Moscow. Schrimsher does a nice job of identifying the plants most readily used by the Nez Perce. Her thesis also talks about the processes used for cooking traditional plants.

Schwede, Madge L.
1966 An Ecological Study of Nez Perce Settlement Patterns. Unpublished Master's thesis. Washington State University, Pullman. Schwede talks about the various settlement patterns of local camp spots and villages, and determines the ratio of campsites and villages to terrain and ecosystems, which was dependent upon the seasonal cycles of the people.

Scott, Douglas D.
1994 A Sharp Little Affair. Reprints in Anthropology, Vol. 45, Lincoln: J & L Reprint Co. In 1991, Doug Scott conducted one of the first and most thorough historical archaeological investigations yet done of the Big Hole National Battlefield. Financed by a private grant, Scott used state-of-the-art ballistics analysis to better determine events and movements of both soldiers and Nez Perce during the course of the battle. Offers an interesting look at how historical archaeology works and what it can accomplish. Contains a short but useful bibliography.

Selam, James and Eugene S. Shunn
1990 Nech'I-Wana'. The Big River. Mid-Columbia Indians. Seattle: University of Washington Press. This is an excellent book for those interested in lifestyle of the Sahaptin-speaking people within the Columbia Plateau, which include the Nez Perce.

Shaw, Janet
2002 1764 - Meet Kaya: An American Girl. Pleasant Company Publications. This 70-page book takes you inside the worlds of girls who lived during exciting times in the past. This is the first in a series of illustrated books about growing up as a Nez Perce girl. "Kaya" is short for the Nez Perce name Kayá atoñ mý, which means "she who arranges rocks." Kaya is the latest in the "American Girl" series of dolls representing periods in American history, and the Nez Perce doll Kaya was awarded the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award for 2003. The American Girl collection includes a series of multiethnic and historic dolls, each of which comes with a collection of historical accessories with books for each doll to introduce history to kids.

Shawley, Stephen D.
1977 Nez Perce Trails. University of Idaho Anthropological Research Manuscript Series, No. 44. Moscow: Laboratory of Anthropology. Shawley identifies and maps a number of Nez Perce trails used extensively throughout time.

Slickpoo, Allen P. Sr.
1972 Nu-Mee-Poom-Tit-Wah-Tit: Nez Perce Legends. Lapwai: Nez Perce Tribe. Slickpoo, a highly revered tribal elder, presents a recordation of Nez Perce legends.

1973 Noon-Nee-Me-Poo: Culture and History of the Nez Perce. Lapwai, ID: Nez Perce Tribe. Slickpoo does a fine job of recording the history and culture surrounding the Nez Perce people from one perspective.

Space, Ralph S.
1970 The Lolo Trail. Lewiston, ID: Printcraft Printing, Inc. As a former Forest Service employee, Ralph Space utilizes his 46 years of experience in traveling the Lolo Trail to help tell its story. He combines the historical events of the Lewis & Clark Expedition, Nez Perce War, and the Mullan Party in describing the use of the trail. This short story serves as a nice introduction to the history and significance of the Lolo Trail.

Spinden, Herbert J.
1908 The Nez Perce Indians. Lancaster, PA. Good anthropological study of the Nez Perce. Includes a selected bibliography.

Swayne, Zoa L.
1990 Do Them No Harm. Orofino, ID: Legacy House. The book describes the Lewis & Clark Expedition, but is unique in that it covers the period when the Expedition stayed among the Nez Perce Indians. This account breathes life into the many Nez Perce individuals mentioned in the L&C journals. It gives insight into the daily struggles for survival between both L&C Expedition and the Nez Perce people. The reader will experience the everyday occurrences in the life of a Nez Perce in the early 1800s, including birth, death, sickness, hunting, fishing, and the seasonal lifestyle of the people.

T

Thomasma, Ken
1990 Soun Tetoken - Nez Perce Boy. Jackson, WY: Grandview Publishing Company. An exciting story for children ages 9-13. The book offers unusual sensitivity and clearly evident love for Indian lore and legend as it recounts the days of the Nez Perce Tribe before and during the War of 1877. The author spent many hours with Blanche Watters and Vernon Watters, Old Joseph's great-great-grandson, to authenticate this story.

Trafzer, Cliff
1987 The Northwestern Tribes in Exile. Sacramento: Sierra Oaks Publishing Co. Excellent book on the government's forceful removal of the American Indians to the Indian Territory. Eight essays detail the causes of Indian removal from their homelands in the Northwest. The Nez Perce are featured, along with the Palouse and Modocs, talking about their lives in present-day Oklahoma. All three tribes once shared a life in northeastern Oklahoma on the Quapaw Agency. The Nez Perce and Palouse ultimately moved to the Ponca agency, where they remained until 1885, when the government permitted them to return to the Northwest. The book brings out the shared heritage of the Modocs, Nez Perce, and Palouse.

1992 The Nez Perce. New York: Chelsea House. A story of the Nez Perce, native inhabitants of present-day western Idaho, eastern Oregon, and eastern Washington for young adult readers. Considered by many to be a great resource book. 111 pages.

U

United States Congress.
1878 "Report of the Secretary of War, 1875-1877" in U.S. 45th Congress, 2nd Session, House Representatives Executive Document 1, Part 2, Volume 1. Official report to the Secretary of War detailing the military events and actions surrounding military/Indian conflicts, including the Nez Perce in 1877.

U.S. War Department
1882 Record of Engagements with Hostile Indians Within the Military Division of the Missouri From 1868 to 1882, Lt. Gen. Philip H. Commanding. Chicago: Headquarters Military Division of the Missouri. Official accounts of military activities through various Indian campaigns, including the Nez Perce War.

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Walker, Deward E., Jr.
1978 Indians of Idaho. Moscow: University Press of Idaho. This book is written from the viewpoint of ethnology or cultural anthropology. It deals with six Native American tribes including the Nez Perce. The book covers both subsistence and social organizational information.

1980 Myths of Idaho Indians. University Press of Idaho. Moscow. Walker devotes one chapter to the 10 Myths of Nez Perce Indians, carefully creating a representative anthology of the best known myths, using great care to preserve as much of the original style and flavor of their telling as possible, including their impressive dramatic qualities as well as their striking humor.

Wilfong, Cheryl.
1990 Following the Nez Perce Trail: A Guide to the Nee-Me-Poo National Historic Trail with Eye-witness Accounts. Corvallis: Oregon State University Press. Not only a useful tool for anyone interested in following the Nez Perce National Historic Trail, but a good history of the 1877 story as well. Interesting and pertinent quotes throughout. One of the few travel guide/histories that take the Nez Perce beyond the final battle at Bear's Paw and on to Canada and Oklahoma. Excellent maps and numerous photographs.

Wood, C.E.S.
1936 Pursuit and Capture of Chief Joseph, in Chester A. Fee, Chief Joseph: The Biography of a Great Indian. New York: Wilson-Erickson, Incorporated. Wood recorded many of the events of 1877 as he traveled with Howard during the campaign against the Nez Perce. Useful first-hand accounts of military members' thoughts, actions, and movements.

Wood, Erskine
n.d. Days with Chief Joseph. Portland, OR: Binfords & Mort. Beginning in 1893 at the age of 14, Wood lived among the Nez Perce on their new home near Nespelem, Washington, on the Colville Indian Reservation. For most of the time he was there, he lived with Chief Joseph and his family, and kept a diary of his activities. Fascinating look at the day-to-day lives of Chief Joseph and the Joseph Band Nez Perce following their relocation to the Colville Indian Reservation.