Speech to a White Audience, Chief Joseph

In-mut-too-yah-lat-lat, who was giving this speech, was a Chief of the Wal-lam-wat-kin band of Chute-pa-lu. In his speech, he was arguing the way how the white men tried to approach his people, his country even though they were treating very well by the native people. He showed that his father, Chief Joseph, tried his best to protect their country from being taken away by white men. When the first white men came to their land, they acted as they were very kind people. They brought many new things to trade and to show to the native people. “They brought tobacco, which was new from us. They brought guns with flint stones on them… They made presents to our chiefs and our people made presents to them.”

But then, things changed. Many white men came to their country, built the house and made the farms. The native people were feeling fine with that at first. After that, they realized what those people’s ambition was. They wanted the native people to sign away their country for them. Chief Joseph didn’t do that even though the other chiefs signed the paper gradually and there were some threats from white men. He did everything he could to protect his country.

I find the author’s argument very convincing. He not only put his heart into the speech, but also he had strong evidences that his father and he didn’t do anything that could make the white men thought that they were selling their land. “We have never accepted any presents from the Government. Neither Lawyer nor any other chief had authority to sell this land. It has always belonged to my people.” Even though the white men tried to do everything to take away his country, he still didn’t want to have the war. “I did not want to come to this council, but I came hoping that we could save blood.” I think he was a responsible leader.

I think the historical significant of this speech was about the time when the white people tried to take away other countries’ land. It was also about the way how they treated and used people. They never thought for other races, but themselves. That was really selfish and unfair. The speech also showed how the Indian fought for their land, their people, and their right. They were brave.