Sabina Dedovic

History 1700- D. Martindale

July 16, 2015

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Plight of the Natives

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While reading Joseph Smith Speaks, I could here in the speech how sad he was
and how all the Indians had struggled for their freedom. It sounded like they had no
freedom, like they were treated as they were outlaws because of their colored skin and
because they were Indian. Joseph clearly wanted peace with the U. S. Government, but
he did not receive peace, he received defeat and had to surrender for he did not want to
fight the white man anymore. It wasn't very fair for the white man to come and take
place of the lands where the natives had stayed. The white men didn't see the Indians
as men but rather as just Indians. All the Indians wanted was to be treated fair with
equality of all men no matter what they were, because they had hearts and they saw
everyone as equal. In Joseph Smith Speaks, he said, Hear me, my chiefs, my heart is
sick and sad. (Chief Joseph 1877, online).This has touched my heart, because this
poor man only wanted peace and equality with the white men. He was tired of all this
fighting and was sad to see his family murdered by the white men. He knew that the
Indians could defeat the white men, but they did not because they had promised Nez
Perce that they will never fight with the white men, and they never broke that promise.

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One of the rights that Joseph Smith mentioned was about freedom of religion.
"Let me be a free man, free to travel, free to stop, free to work, free to trade where I
choose, free to choose my own teachers, free to follow the religion of my fathers, free to
talk, think and act for myself -- and I will obey every law or submit to the penalty. (Chief
Joseph 1879, online)The freedom of religion in society today is not separated from the
state how it should be. For example people do get to practice their religion but under
Christian rules. Since they combine Christianity with every state in the U. S. instead of
separating church from state.
Joseph Smith wanted a change to unite the white people with the Indians he
said, "I know that my race must change. We cannot hold our own with the white men as
we are. We only ask an even chance to live as other men live. We ask to be recognized
as men. We ask that the same law shall work alike on all men. If an Indian breaks the
law, punish him by the law. If a white man breaks the law, punish him also. (Chief
Joseph 1879, online) If he made that change and if the white men could go by what he
said then America would be a different place. America would be filled with great people
who think with their hearts and that have soul. It would have made a big difference
today and throughout all the other generations as well. No one would have to suffer and
we all would live at peace.

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Citations
Chester Anders Fee, Chief Joseph: The Biography of a Great Indian, WilsonErickson, 1936, online

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