Nez Perce Traditional Site, Wallowa Lake
Encyclopedia
Wallowa Lake Site, also known as Nez Perce Traditional Site, Wallowa Lake, Chief Joseph Cemetery and Joseph National Indian Cemetery is a 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) Native American
cemetery near Joseph, Oregon
. The area was also a traditional campsite of the Nez Perce and may be archaeologically significant.
It was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1985. It is a component of the Nez Perce National Historical Park
.
It is the burial place of Old Chief Joseph
, the father of Chief Joseph
. When Old Joseph died in 1871, he had a traditional burial at the forks of the Lostine
and Wallowa
rivers. In 1886 his grave was desecrated by local property owners and his skull was removed as a souvenir. In 1926, the remains of the elder Chief Joseph were reburied. His grave is marked by a tall stone marker bearing the legend, "To The Memory of Old Chief Joseph, Died 1870." The cemetery is a sacred place for the Nez Perce people.
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
cemetery near Joseph, Oregon
Joseph, Oregon
Joseph is a city in Wallowa County, Oregon, United States. Originally named Silver Lake and Lake City, in 1880 the city formally named itself for Nez Perce Chief Joseph. The population was 1,054 at the 2000 census.- History :...
. The area was also a traditional campsite of the Nez Perce and may be archaeologically significant.
It was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1985. It is a component of the Nez Perce National Historical Park
Nez Perce National Historical Park
The Nez Perce National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park comprising 38 sites located throughout the states of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington which are the traditional aboriginal lands of the Nez Perce. The sites commemorate the history, culture, and stories of the...
.
It is the burial place of Old Chief Joseph
Old Chief Joseph
Tuekakas, commonly known as Old Chief Joseph or Joseph the Elder, was a Native American leader of the Wallowa Band of the Nez Perce. Old Joseph was one of the first Nez Percé converts to Christianity and a vigorous advocate of the tribe's early peace with whites...
, the father of Chief Joseph
Chief Joseph
Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt, popularly known as Chief Joseph, or Young Joseph was the leader of the Wal-lam-wat-kain band of Nez Perce during General Oliver O. Howard's attempt to forcibly remove his band and the other "non-treaty" Nez Perce to a reservation in Idaho...
. When Old Joseph died in 1871, he had a traditional burial at the forks of the Lostine
Lostine River
The Lostine River is a tributary of the Wallowa River in northeastern Oregon in the United States.It drains a portion of the Eagle Cap Wilderness of the Wallowa Mountains in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. It joins the Wallowa River at Wallowa...
and Wallowa
Wallowa River
The Wallowa River is a tributary of the Grande Ronde River, approximately long, in northeastern Oregon in the United States. It drains a valley on the Columbia Plateau in the northeast corner of the state north of Wallowa Mountains. It rises in southern Wallowa County, in the Wallowa Mountains in...
rivers. In 1886 his grave was desecrated by local property owners and his skull was removed as a souvenir. In 1926, the remains of the elder Chief Joseph were reburied. His grave is marked by a tall stone marker bearing the legend, "To The Memory of Old Chief Joseph, Died 1870." The cemetery is a sacred place for the Nez Perce people.