Advocate III
- 5,584
- First Name
- Michael
- Last Name
- Rose
- Member #
-
20990
- Ham/GMRS Callsign
- W7FSB
- Service Branch
- US ARMY Retired
I am a Native American History Buff... especially of the tribes located in South Eastern Washington, North Eastern Oregon, and west Central Idaho. I grew up in “Old” Chief Joseph’s hunting grounds, and have found many artifacts from his time era in the fields while plowing. For those that don’t know, “Old”
Chief Joseph was the leader of one of the last bands of wild Native Americans left in the Western United States. He was told by the American Government that his tribe, along with a couple of other smaller tribes, could stay in their little Wallowa Valley and hunt and fish, and live as they always had. This treaty only lasted a couple of short years before silver was discovered in what is now know as Lostine, Oregon.
upon discovery of silver, we white men, pushed into the Indian Territory of the Nez Perse People. A new peace treaty was struck, and the Nez Perse Tribe was going to move in with the Umatilla Indians in Mission, Oregon. But a young warrior decided to gather a few members of the tribe and murder an innocent homestead.
This caused “Old” Chief Joseph to hold a meeting with several other warring tribe leaders to unite in a fight against the US Calvary.
The war that was going to wage on soon became a retreat for the tribes, and became later known as the Nee-Me-Poo Trail (or The Trail of the People).
The trail starts at “Old Chief Joseph’s birth and resting place at Wallowa Lake Oregon, and takes you through the Wild and Rugged Hells Canyon to Doug’s Bar where the Nez Perce crosses the treacherous Snake River. The historical trail takes you north fallowing the Snake River to the town of Lewiston, Idaho.
Once in Lewiston you travel down HY 12 to Kooskia, Idaho where you have the option to leave pavement and fallow the Cavalry or the Nez Perce.
The trail finally ends in Bear Paw, Montana which is just outside of Helena.
The trail is made up of 8 parts
and covers 1,170 miles.. and usually takes close to 2 weeks to drive the entirety in the late summer and early fall.
For more information about the route and trail visit
If this sounds like a trip for you and your family, I would really like to take this amazing drive in the fall of 2021. So let’s start planning now.
Chief Joseph was the leader of one of the last bands of wild Native Americans left in the Western United States. He was told by the American Government that his tribe, along with a couple of other smaller tribes, could stay in their little Wallowa Valley and hunt and fish, and live as they always had. This treaty only lasted a couple of short years before silver was discovered in what is now know as Lostine, Oregon.
upon discovery of silver, we white men, pushed into the Indian Territory of the Nez Perse People. A new peace treaty was struck, and the Nez Perse Tribe was going to move in with the Umatilla Indians in Mission, Oregon. But a young warrior decided to gather a few members of the tribe and murder an innocent homestead.
This caused “Old” Chief Joseph to hold a meeting with several other warring tribe leaders to unite in a fight against the US Calvary.
The war that was going to wage on soon became a retreat for the tribes, and became later known as the Nee-Me-Poo Trail (or The Trail of the People).
The trail starts at “Old Chief Joseph’s birth and resting place at Wallowa Lake Oregon, and takes you through the Wild and Rugged Hells Canyon to Doug’s Bar where the Nez Perce crosses the treacherous Snake River. The historical trail takes you north fallowing the Snake River to the town of Lewiston, Idaho.
Once in Lewiston you travel down HY 12 to Kooskia, Idaho where you have the option to leave pavement and fallow the Cavalry or the Nez Perce.
The trail finally ends in Bear Paw, Montana which is just outside of Helena.
The trail is made up of 8 parts
and covers 1,170 miles.. and usually takes close to 2 weeks to drive the entirety in the late summer and early fall.
For more information about the route and trail visit
If this sounds like a trip for you and your family, I would really like to take this amazing drive in the fall of 2021. So let’s start planning now.
