Chief Joseph

Surrender Speech

delivered 5 October 1877, Bears Paw Mountains, Montana

I am tired of fighting.

Our chiefs are killed. Looking-glass is dead. Too-hul-hul-suit is dead. The old men are all dead.

It is the young men, now, who say "yes" or "no" [that is, vote in council].

He who led on the young men [Joseph’s brother, Ollicut] is dead.

It is cold, and we have no blankets. The little children are freezing to death.

My people -- some of them -- have run away to the hills, and have no blankets, no food. No one knows where they are -- perhaps freezing to death.

I want to have time to look for my children, and see how many of them I can find; maybe I shall find them among the dead.

Hear me, my chiefs; my heart is sick and sad.

From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever!

Original Text Source: https://www.loc.gov/item/today-in-history/october-05/

Original Image Source: Wikipedia.org

Page Created: 12/26/23

U.S. Copyright Status: Text and Image = Public domain.