The Nez Perce Indians are a tribe that lived in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. At the time of the Lewis and Clark expedition (探险队) , which was one of the first journeys by Americans from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific coast and back again, the Nez Perce territory (领土) covered about 17 million acres, covering parts of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. But that was a brief sweet history.
In September 1805, when Lewis and Clark came off the Rockies on their westward journey, the entire exploring party was hungry and ill -- too weak to defend themselves.
Had the Nez Perce chosen to attack them, they could have put an end to the Lewis and Clark expedition there on the banks of Clearwater River. Instead the Nez Perce welcomed the white Americans and looked after them until they made a full recovery. Thus began a long friendship between the Nez Perce and white Americans. But white men’s greed for land and gold finally broke the friendship.
In 1855 Governor Isaac Stevens of Washington Territory invited the Nez Perce to a peace conference. He said there were a great many white people in the country, and many more would come. But the Chief of the tribe at that time, Old Joseph, replied, “Take away your paper. I will not touch it with my hand.”
Things were quiet for a while after that, but not for long. When Old Joseph died, the chiefship was passed onto Young Joseph. In the late 1870s, government officials came to order the Nez Perce to leave the Wallowa Valley and then began hard battles between the Nez Perce and the white soldiers. After the tribe had fought thirteen battles and moved 1,600 miles to-wards Canada in an attempt to retreat(撤退) north, Young Joseph, gave in to the United States Army. Here was his famous statement, “Hear me my chiefs. I am tired; my heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands I will fight no more forever.”
In 1885, Chief Joseph was sent along with many of his band to the Colville Reservation in Washington where Joseph continued to lead his band for another 25 years, at times coming into conflict with the leaders of 11 other tribes living on the reservation.(保留地，居留地)
【小题1】What is TRUE about the Lewis and Clark expedition?| A．They were well cared for by the Nez Perce. |
| B．They ended their expedition on the banks of Clearwater River. |
| C．They started the first battle with the Nez Perce. |
| D．They were the first Americans to travel from the Atlantic to the Pacific. |
| A．Old Joseph’s proud manner |
| B．White men’s increasing demand for land and gold |
| C．A growing number of white men in the land |
| D．The breakdown of the peace talk |
| A．he grew older | B．he was terribly ill |
| C．he hated the war | D．he lost other chiefs’ support |
| A．the customs and traditions of the Nez Perce Indians |
| B．the last years of Chief Joseph in the Colville Reservation |
| C．lasting fights between the Nez Perce and the whites |
| D．constant conflicts between the Nez Perce and other tribes |
