Chief Joseph's Speech Analysis Essay Sample

"My friends, I have been asked to show you my heart. I am glad to have a chance to do so. I want the white people to understand my people. Some of you think an Indian is like a wild animal. This is a great mistake.” These words opened a speech by Chief Joseph, pleading to President Rutherford B. Hayes and members of Congress, given in Lincoln Hall in Washington, D.C., January 14th, 1879. (Braman) Out of respect for Chief Joseph and his people I will refrain from using an accent when quoting him. This speech sheds light on America’s stained past. Before we analyze this speech, I want to give a very brief history of Chief Joseph's life to better understand his speech.

Chief Joseph was born in 1840, in the Wallowa Valley in what is now Oregon. Upon his father’s death, he became one of the chiefs of the Nez Perce Indians. Due to Westward Expansion and the discovery of gold on the west coast, he had a hard time keeping the land that his ancestors had lived in for a long time. In 1877, he was forced to escape with his tribe of 700 people. After a 1,400 mile march to Canada, they were surrounded and captured just 40 miles from the border. He surrendered with the words, “Hear me, my chiefs! I am tired. My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever.” (Chief Joseph)

It was promised to him by General Miles that he and his people would be returned home. However, his remaining 400 people were loaded into train cars and transported to an Indian reserve in Kansas and then on to Oklahoma where many of his people died from diseases and starvation. He made many requests to go to Washington D.C. to make a plea to the government for his people. This was finally granted in 1879. (Chief Joseph)

In front of the President and members of Congress, he said, “The white man has more words to tell you how they look to him, but it does not require many words to speak the truth. What I have to say will come from my heart, and I will speak with a straight tongue.” (Braman) After this introduction he gave a detailed account of his life and of battles that he had fought with Americans. He also explained the promises and treaties that the American government had made with him but then broke. Establishing his authority to argue on behalf of his people, through the use of Ethos, he said, “At last I was granted permission to come to Washington and bring my friend Yellow Bull and our interpreter with me. I am glad we came. I have shaken hands with a great many friends, but there are some things I want to know which no one seems able to explain. I can not understand how the Government sends a man out to fight us, as it did General Miles, and then breaks his word. Such a Government has something wrong about it.” (Braman) What he was essentially saying is that the Government was majorly flawed because it didn’t keep its word. He emphasizes this point later, saying, “I have heard talk and talk, but nothing is done. Good words do not last long unless they amount to something. Words do not pay for my dead people. They do not pay for my country, now overrun by white men. They do not protect my father's grave. They do not pay for all my horses and cattle. Good words will not give me back my children. Good words will not make good the promise of your War Chief General Miles. Good words will not give my people good health and stop them from dying. Good words will not get my people a home where they can live in peace and take care of themselves. I am tired of talk that comes to nothing. It makes my heart sick when I remember all the good words and all the broken promises. There has been too much talking by men who had no right to talk.” (Braman) Chief Joseph used repetition to drive home his point that words are useless unless backed by action.

Later in his speech, he says, “If the white man wants to live in peace with the Indian he can live in peace. There need be no trouble. Treat all men alike. Give them all the same law. Give them all an even chance to live and grow.” (Braman) Using logos, he appeals to his audience as some of the smartest people in the country, hoping for fair treatment. Despite all the injustice that he has endured he doesn’t want revenge, rather to be treated as equal. After finally making this point, he closes with a strong appeal of pathos, tugging on the heart strings of his audience, “Whenever the white man treats the Indian as they treat each other, then we will have no more wars. We shall all be alike brothers of one father and one mother, with one sky above us and one country around us, and one government for all. For this time the Indian race are waiting and praying. I hope that no more groans of wounded men and women will ever go to the ear of the Great Spirit Chief above, and that all people may be one people.” (Braman)

Chief Joseph received a huge ovation. President Hayes personally wished for the Nez Perce to be returned to their land but opposition prevented him from acting, and no change was made to his situation until six years later when his people were finally returned to the Pacific Northwest. However, he never returned to his country again. This speech might not have had much impact on its original audience, but I hope it has some impact on you.

Our Declaration of Independence says that all men are created equal. I always read those words and thought that we were different from other countries. However, this year I studied American History. I was taken aback at how stained and flawed our country is. While the Declaration of Independence was written with great intentions, those words have not always been backed up by actions. Our founding fathers came to this land and forced out the people that had already lived here for generations. Due to man's sinful pride inequality and injustice have prevailed since the beginning of history. Individuals think that they are better than others, and those being discriminated against want revenge because they think that they have earned as much. After realizing these things I was inspired when I found this speech by Chief Joseph. It surprised me that someone who had been oppressed and afflicted wasn’t asking for revenge. He simply wanted peace.

Sadly, injustice and inequality will prevail. We can never change that. However, what we can change is how we respond to it. Psalm 9:7-8 in the NIV says, “But the LORD reigns forever, executing judgment from his throne. He will judge the world with justice and rule the nations with fairness.” (Psalm 9:7-8 NIV) When we are treated unfairly we should not bring judgment onto our oppressors because we know that God is on his throne righteously judging for us. Instead we are called to love our enemies and 1 John 3:18 in the NIV says, “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” (1 John 3:18 NIV) Just like Chief Joseph suggested in his speech, we are not to simply say good words; we must have actions to back them.

Citation page:

John 3:18 NIV - - Bible Gateway, https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%2BJohn%2B3%3A18&version=NIV. 

Braman, Leah. “Finding Central Ideas in ‘Speech to Washington.’” BetterLesson, BetterLesson, 14 July 2014, https://teaching.betterlesson.com/lesson/598004/finding-central-ideas-in-speech-to-washington?from=search

Chief Joseph (1840-1904), https://www.historylink.org/File/8975. 

“Chief Joseph.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 15 Apr. 2021, https://www.biography.com/political-figure/chief-joseph. 

Longley, Robert. “Chief Joseph: Tagged 'The Red Napoleon' by American Press.” ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, 25 Feb. 2019, https://www.thoughtco.com/chief-joseph-4586460.

Psalm 9:7-8 NIV - - Bible Gateway, https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=%2BPsalm%2B9%3A7-8&version=NIV.