( c. 1840–1904)
the leader of a group of Nez Percé Native Americans . When in 1877 they were told to move from Oregon to a reservation (= land given and protected by the US government) in Idaho , Chief Joseph’s group killed 20 white people and tried to escape to Canada. They travelled over 1 000 miles/1 600 kilometres, but the US Army caught them 30 miles/48 kilometres from Canada. Chief Joseph lived the rest of his life on a reservation in the state of Washington .