Hero Hall of Fame

Make a list of people you like from t.v., movies, sports, or books.

Do you think that anyone on the list is a hero? Why is this person a hero?

What does a hero do? What words could describe a hero?

Let’s learn about a hero of the First Amendment!

Let’s recall what the 1 st Amendment says… “Congress shall make no law …abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble…”

What can these pictures tell us about this hero?

Let’s read about this hero…

Chief Joseph was a Native American. He was the leader of his tribe. His tribe was called the Nez Perce. What is a tribe? A tribe is a group of people who form a large family, living and working together in a community.

The Nez Perce tribe lived many years ago in the valleys of Oregon..

With hunting and fishing, they lived happily using the resources of the valleys

Since his childhood, Joseph saw many people begin to move into the valleys, looking for new homes and farms. Some of these people did not want to share the land and resources with the Nez Perce tribe.

Sometimes the new settlers would take over the tribe’s lands. This caused fighting between the Nez Perce and the new settlers. As the leader of his tribe, Chief Joseph asked the Nez Perce not to fight. He wanted to live in peace with the new settlers.

The Nez Perce were asked to move from their valleys onto lands farther away. But many did not want to leave their homes. Chief Joseph saw that he and his soldiers would have to fight or lose his homeland.

The Nez Perce were brave fighters, but they could not win. Many of their warriors (soldiers) had died. The tribe was forced to move away from their homes.

This is what Chief Joseph said, “I am tired of fighting. It is cold, and we have no blankets or food. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever.”

But Chief Joseph did not give up. He even traveled to speak with many Presidents of our country.

This is what Chief Joseph said about wanting peace, “Our fathers gave us many laws, which they had learned from their fathers. These laws were good. They told us to treat all men as they treated us.”

Because he spoke for peace between his people and the settlers, his tribe was able to stay in some of the valleys of their homelands.

In what ways was Chief Joseph a hero?

What rights did Chief Joseph use as a leader of his tribe? “Congress shall make no law …abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble…”