Task: Answer the Following Questions about Chief Joseph's Speech
1. How is the art of rhetoric evident in Chief Joseph’s speech?

There are two examples of how the art of rhetoric is evident in Chief Joseph's speech. The first would be the repetition that Chief Joseph used. He used two different types of repetition in his speech. The first would be repetition of words, as seen in the end of his speech where Chief Joseph repeats "free" as in "Let me be a free man -- free to travel, free to stop, free to work..." The other type of repetition Chief Joseph used was the repetition of examples. Constantly we are reminded of the examples of kindness his tribe offered the white men. Through his repetition, he made me feel sad for them and was hoping to make the United States government feel guilty about their inhumane actions.
Another example of the art of rhetoric in Chief Joseph's speech would be his use of religion. Chief Joseph used religion in order to persuade the US government that he only wants peace and to remain in the land that the Great Spirit Chief initially gave to his people.

2. Who is he addressing in this speech?

Chief Joseph is addressing Government officials in Washington D.C., especially those who ordered the soldiers to move his people off their land.

3. Who is he indicting and why?

Chief Joseph is indicting the US Government, its officials and various settlers. He is indicting the government and the officials because they are the ones who gave the unjust and inhumane orders to the officials and various soldiers. He is also indicting the various settlers because they had committed acts of crime against the Nez Perces. Such crimes included the white settlers stealing horses, branding young cattle and horses calling them their property and the white settlers drove many cattle off their land.

4. Identify any heroic characteristics

The first heroic characteristic is that, by making this speech, Chief Joseph fought against the oppressive force in order to defend his people. Another heroic characteristic is his dedication to make sure that his people possess the land where they have buried their ancestors.

5. Why is this speech Protest Literature?

Chief Joseph's speech is definitely Protest Literature for it demonstrates all the unjust and inhumane acts that most Native Americans had to cope with during Manifest Destiny. It gives us a first hand look of what the other side had to deal with and how they dealt with it. Now not only does his speech give us examples, but it was also a speech designed to make the oppressive force feel guilty and rethink their choices. This clearly makes Chief Joseph's speech Protest Literature.

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Do Now: Interpret the following quote:

“The Earth is the mother of all people and all people should have equal rights upon it." (Chief Joseph)

It is impossible for one man or one group to own the Earth. It was created for everyone and no one man can dictate who receives what part of the Earth and how they should receive it. In Chief Jospeh’s example, the US Government was telling the Nez Pereces that they had no other option but to move to a reservation because the US Government had acquired the land that they are living on. However, because “the earth is the mother of all people and all people should have equal rights upon it,” he refused to move. He felt that it is impossible for the US to own any land and therefore had no right to tell his people where to live.