Product Description
In this remarkable journal, an observant and opinionated cavalry private offers an inside look at a soldier's life during the Indian Wars of the 1870s. One of the few enlisted men to keep a diary, Private William F. Zimmer participated in the closing campaign of the Great Sioux War. Later, under the command of Colonel Nelson A. Miles, Zimmer fought at the climatic Battle of the Bear's Paw Mountains, the battle that led to Chief Joseph's famous surrender. Frontier Soldier expands our understanding of military dynamics during the Indian Wars and offers an honest view of army life from the perspective of the rank and file. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Very humbling to read of my grandfather Zimmer's adventures.
I never knew my grandfather as he died the year before I was born.I used to play in the attic of my home.I played with grandfathers uniform and sword,his musket and many of his personal belongings.Seeing as how thisis my grandfather it makes the book seem more real to me than if it werewritten about someone that I never heard of. ... Read more

Product Description
Travel with Martin Stadius as he searches for answers to a saga that begins on the shores of Oregon's beautiful Wallowa Lake and ends in the barren, wind-swept hills at Bears Paw, Montana.

Stadius tells the story of the Nez Perce people-the Nee-Me-Poo. In 1877, the "Dreamer" (non-Christian) faction of the tribe, under pressure from land-hungry whites to move to a reservation, fled their homeland in eastern Oregon and central Idaho. During the next four months, the Nee-Mee-Poo led pursuing troops on an 1,100-mile chase that ended tragically only forty miles short of Canada.

Today, the route of the Nee-Mee-Poo retreat is a National Historic Trail, part of the Nez Perce National Historic Park, with sites in three Western states.

Stadius' crisp, entertaining writing style makes Dreamers: On the Trail of the Nez Perce, more than a history book. He follows the Nee-Mee-Poo route in his Volkswagon van, describing the trail today. At the same time, he tells the story of the retreat in human terms-from the perspective of the Nez Perce, their pursuers and the people who found themselves in the path of the chase.

The author gleaned the material for Dreamers from hundreds of sources. He discovered archives containing heretofore unpublished information that solves some of the story's most enduring puzzles.

Dreamers: On the Trail of the Nez Perce is certain to become a foundation book for any study of this unique Native American culture. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

My favorite book about the Nez Perce.
I have been a huge fan of the Nez Perce people and their native land ever since I was a child. I grew up in Boise, Idaho, not too far away from the Nez Perce land, and as a boy I remember listening in fascination as my father told me the story of the sad plight of the non-treaty Nez Perce. Decades later, as an adult who suddenly took an interest in reading, I began studying and researching their story myself.

Of supreme importance to me in learning the story of the Nez Perce people was understanding their land and their love of that land. When I read the histories I wanted deeper, more detailed descriptions of the land that they lived in and the trails that they followed. None of the histories quite gave me all the information I wanted. So, I took off traveling through their country and over their trails to experience it first hand. Finally, I heard about this book, and I hoped that maybe it might be the book I had been looking for. I was not disappointed.

Dreamers is the book I wish I had written because the author took the time to take the trip I have often wished I could take, traveling the entire length of the Nez Perce National Historic Trail, researching it and studying it all along the way as he recorded his personal thoughts about events that occurred there.

As pointed out elsewhere, Dreamers is part travelogue and part historical account. This format is obviously not going to appeal to everyone. In fact, I may be one of a very small minority of people who truly appreciate it. But, for me, this book was fantastic.

Highly recommended and completely absorbing
Really 4 1/2 stars...
This book weaves together history and one man's interesting journey following the historic Nez Perce Trail established during their courageous 1877 retreat towards Montana and then Canada.Stadius carefully studied McWhorter's notes and adds a few interesting details and quotes overlooked by other historians.My only complaints are 1) the editing could have been a little better; and 2) Stadius misstates Crazy Horse's death date by one day too early and wrongly states that an Indian policeman stabbed him with a bayonet.These observations aside, this book was very touching (part history and part human interest) and I highly recommend it.

On the road with Stadius
Dreamers is an excellent account of the Nez Perce flight for freedom as they are chased by all the stars of the American military.Beginning with Gen. Howard (infamous already for the disaster at Chancellorsville during the Civil War, cameo appearances are made by Gens. Sherman, Sheridan, and Miles.Stadius retraces the path of the Nez Perce from the Willowas, to the Battle at Whitebird, and then the run through the Idaho Panhandle into Montana, through Yellowstone and back up trough Montana.There is a balanced mix of personal accounts of civilians, soldiers, and Nez Perce that makes this a rich historical account.This, coupled with Stadius's own journal account of retracing the Nez Perce Trail and how it looks today makes this a most enjoyable book.It reminds me of William Frassanito's style of taking old Brady photographs and determining exactly where they were taken by revisiting the sites.The reliance on written and oral histories and Stadius's gift of describing the terrain and geography enlivens this book, to the point that I am already planning stages of traveling over parts of this trail.Occasionally Stadius will inject some of his opinions, but overall I most appreciated the contrast of experience from participants and not some attempt at political correctness or personal sermonizing.History as it should be written is what Dreamers is most about.It starts slow, but after Howard starts pursuing across the Lolo pass, I couldn't put it down.I bought this book at the U. of Idaho bookstore when the author was doing a signing, let it sit on the shelf for 7 months, and finally stuck it in my brief case to read on a cross country flight.The return flight has never seemed so short.I highly recommend this book.

With a library and knapsack in his VW microbus . . .
Martin Stadius has put together a narrative of travel along the Nez Perce trail, and through the stacks of books and articles that have been written about that episode in US history. He navigates both trails well. His blend of personal narrative and historical analysis does a good job of sorting facts from myths, and offers often compelling description of the landscape.

Some of what I like about this book: Stadius took some good pictures along the route and put them in this book. He spent the obligatory time in Pullman, Washington poring through the McWhorter papers. He listened well to one of the most knowledgeable people alive today concerning the Nez Perce war--Otis Halfmoon, National Park Service Ranger--and gives a good description of that Nez Perce man's storytelling ability. He reveals a sense of ethics in his exploration of places and sources. He recognizes the incompetence of the would-be poachers he saw fishing in a "no fishing" section of Yellowstone Park.

My first thought when I saw this book was that it would be another urbanite's tour through Indian country (like Ian Frazier's _On the Rez_). But as Stadius follows the Nez Perce trail, he deftly weaves together natural history, perceptive observation, good manners, and an inquisitive spirit tempered by respect for the sacred. His prose keeps running smoothly in a manner akin to his miracle bus because he's willing to get out and wade a creek before attempting to drive through, and knows his limits. That scene from the book could stand as a metaphor for his journeys through the pasts and places along the Nez Perce trail.

This book will not have the enduring power of McWhorter's accounts that are based on first hand testimony. But in our time it is one of the better books on the subject.

Following The Trail
I reccomend this book for any one wanting to learn more about the Nez Perce Trail. I found this book very interesting.I have driven parts of the trail myself and found this book to be so factual. The authors respect forthe Native American Culture shines through. It is a very interesting bookof historical importance. I found myself reading the book with a road Atlasby my side. ... Read more

Product Description
Examines the history, culture, and changing fortunes of the Nez Perce tribe. Includes a picture essay on their crafts. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Wind Speaker, published by Aboriginal Multi-Media Society of Alberta (AMMSA) on January 1, 1997. The length of the article is 602 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Trail commemorates Nez Perce journey.
Author: R. John Hayes
Publication: Wind Speaker (Newsletter)
Date: January 1, 1997
Publisher: Aboriginal Multi-Media Society of Alberta (AMMSA)
Volume: 14Issue: 9Page: 24

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
A great Indian chief and giant of the history of the western frontier

Many of the names of the leaders of the tribes of native American Indians of the nineteenth century have become known to the entire world. Though they often appear in tandem with the generals who opposed them, it must be remembered that these men-warriors from martial races-were not at the head of an enemy army. They sought only to maintain the fundamental right of their people to live freely on their ancestral lands. They were brave to a fault, always fighting to protect their way of life, women, elderly and children. Under resourced and ultimately outnumbered theirs was destined to be a losing battle against the pale faced newcomers; their ends and those of their people were therefore universally tragic. Chief Joseph of the Nez Percé had given pledged to his dying father that the land that held his bones would never be given up. But 'Manifest Destiny' knew no compromise and so it was that in 1877 Chief Joseph found himself leading his cold and hungry people on a fighting withdrawal to the safety of British Canada pursued by the US Army under Howard and Miles. This is the history of those times accompanied here by the reflections of Chief Joseph himself in an interview given in later life. An essential chronicle for all those interested in the history of the West. Available in softcover and hardcover with dust jacket. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 6971 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Contains 8,000 to 12,000 word essays on specific culture groups in the United States, emphasizing religions, holidays, customs, and languages in addition to providing information on historical background and settlement patterns. Also covers ethnoreligious groups such as Jews, Chaldeans, and Amish. Each essay lists organizations and research centers; name, address, and contact information for periodicals, radio, and television stations; and a further readings section. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Junior Scholastic, published by Thomson Gale on November 10, 2003. The length of the article is 1636 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Growing up Nez Perce: when they are not shooting hoops or dancing to hip-hop, these Nez Perce teens ride horses beneath the open sky.(USA)
Author: Suzanne McCabe
Publication: Junior Scholastic (Magazine/Journal)
Date: November 10, 2003
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 106Issue: 7Page: 14(4)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Encyclopedia of Religion, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 1628 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.The second edition of this highly regarded encyclopedia, preserving the best of the first edition's cross-cultural approach, while emphasizing religion's role within everyday life and as a unique experience from culture to culture, this new edition is the definitive work in the field for the 21st century. An international team of scholars and contributors have reviewed, revised and added to every word of the classic work, making it relevant to the questions and interests of all researchers. ... Read more

Product Description
The texts contained in this volume were collected on the Fort Lapwai reservation during the fall and winter of 1929-30. ... Read more

Product Description
Part historical narrative, part travelogue through the wilds of the West and part environmental polemic, 'Selling Your Father's Bones' is a thrilling journey through the history and wilderness of the stunning area of landscape that is Continental USA.In the summer of 1877, around seven hundred members of the Nez Perce Native American tribe set out on one of the most remarkable journeys in the history of the American West, a 1,700-mile exodus through the mountains, forests, badlands and prairies of modern-day Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. They had been forced from their homes by the great wave of settlement that crashed over the West as the American nation was born.Led by their charismatic chiefs, the Nez Perce used their unerring knowledge of the landscapes they passed through to survive six battles and many more skirmishes with the pursuing United States Army, as they raced, with women, children and village elders in their care, towards the safety of the Canadian border.But all Chief Joseph, the young pastoral leader of the exodus, wanted was to return home - to his beloved Wallowa valley, which his dying father had ordered him never to abandon: 'Never sell the bones of your father and your mother.'Now, Brian Schofield retraces the steps of that epic exodus, to tell the full dramatic story of the Nez Perce's fight for survival - and to examine the forces that drove them to take flight. The white settlement of the West had been largely motivated by patriotic fervour and religious zeal, a faith that the American continent had been laid out by God to fuel the creation of a mighty empire. But as he travels through the lands that the Nez Perce knew so well, Schofield reveals that the great project of the Western Empire has gone badly awry, as the mythology of the settlers opened the door to ecological vandalism, unthinking corporations and negligent leadership, which have lest scarred landscapes, battered communities and toxic environments. ... Read more

Product Description
Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Product Description
In the fall of 1877, Nez Perce (Nimiipuu) Indians were desperately fleeing U.S. Army troops. After a 1,700-mile journey across Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana, the Nez Perces headed for the Canadian border, hoping to find refuge in the land of the White Mother, Queen Victoria. But the army caught up with them at the Bear's Paw Mountains in northern Montana, and following a devastating battle, Chief Joseph and most of his people surrendered.

The wrenching tale of Chief Joseph and his followers is now legendary, but Bear's Paw is not the entire story. In fact, nearly three hundred Nez Perces escaped the U.S. Army and fled into Canada. Beyond Bear's Paw is the first book to explore the fate of these "nontreaty" Indians. Drawing on hitherto unexplored Canadian and U.S. sources, including reminiscences of Nez Perce participants, Jerome A. Greene presents an epic story of human endurance under duress.

Greene vividly describes the tortuous journey of the small band who managed to elude Colonel Nelson A. Miles's command. After the escapees crossed the "Medicine Line" into the British Possessions, they found only new trauma. Within a few years, most of them stole back to their homelands in Idaho Territory. Those who remained north of the line faced a difficult and uncertain future.

In recent years, Nimiipuu descendants from the United States and Canada have revisited their common past and sought reconciliation. Beyond Bear's Paw offers new perspectives on the Nez Perces' struggle for freedom, their hapless rejection, and their ultimate cultural renewal. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Vital Context on Nez Percés Refugees
If it only described what happened to the Nez Percés who escaped from Bear's Paw, Greene's book would still be a valuable contribution to the history of the Nez Percés and their relations with Anglo-Americans. Thoroughly researched, this history contains a wealth of information about the topic ... including over 40 pages of notes.

Fortunately for us as readers, Greene goes "beyond" Bear's Paw in the best, broad sense. He does not just tell us what happened after Bear's Paw, he adds crucial context, before and after. Factors far beyond the local actions and oratory profoundly impacted what happened on the spot. Conversely, the fate of the Nimiipuu influenced how other tribes acted, and reacted.

He opens with a background chapter summarizing what brought the Nez Percés to Bear's Paw. For a more complete treatment, consult Greene's: "Nez Perce Summer, 1877: The U.S. Army and the Nee-Me-Poos Crisis."

It's important to understand that the Nez Percés War took place about a year after the Custer Massacre at the Little Bighorn. That clearly influenced how the government and the Army reacted to yet another Indian confrontation. Although many Sioux and Northern Cheyenne were forced onto reservations, several thousand Sioux fled across the "Medicine Line" into Canada.

Thus, when some 290 Nez Percés refugees arrived, Canadian authorities had little attention to spare for their plight. They basically evinced "benign neglect," leaving the newcomers to fend for themselves. Coincidentally, the first large group of refugees arrived while officials were exploring alternatives with Sioux leaders. The Nimiipuu's stories and bedraggled condition only hardened Sioux resistance to any notion that they should return south.

Having set the context, Greene then describes what happened to the Nez Percés after their escape ... and does so in his usual highly readable manner. Of course, in a few years, most had crept back to the reservation in Idaho.

However, some stayed and eventually married into local tribes. Recently, venturesome families have traced some of these intermarriage links and arranged reunions. Green concludes on a hopeful note: "That both groups today have sought and claimed their common heritage is a measure of their strength and unity after so long a time." ... Read more

Product Description

Chris Olds, a fledgling missionary to the Lapwai Nez Perce, looks forward to leaving the complication and avarice of civilization and working with the simple native. Like other students of Mr. Emerson's Transcendentalism, he hopes to find a way to rise above the material world as he labors to convert the tribe, possibly discovering primitive visionaries among the Indians themselves. Since Chris has been involved in civil disobedience and a liaison with one of the seminary's cleaning women, he views his appointment with Isaiah Cushing, "Apostle to the Nez Perce", as a stroke of luck.
Chris finds neither transcendental elevation for his mind, simplicity in the neophyte or a model in Parson Cushing. He does find love, although the object of his affections, In-who-lise, is already married, to the mission's blacksmith. When the lady's husband is murdered, In-who-lise is the chief suspect, although the killing took place during a card game between the smith and a soldier from nearby Fort Kooskooskie.
In-who-lise flees. Chris finds her and helps her to a hideaway on the hill behind the mission. During the following months, he visits her frequently. The fallout from the murder, Parson Cushing's theological tyranny, the actions of a white trader and the pull of Wisni, the annual buffalo hunt the Lapwai clan once pursued, lead to a battle between the Lapwai and the mission. The conflict destroys the mission and turns up the murderer, although the revelation doesn't come in time to save In-who-lise. Chris abandons his grand cause and joins the frontier military, where, unlike campaigns waged by the missionaries, the native can, at least, see his enemy.

... Read more