Welcome to Fern Valley

Here in central Alberta prime farm country,my husband Martin and I work together raising beef cattle and Appaloosa horses. Fern valley appaloosas have long been known for their quality of temperament conformation and color.I have recently rediscovered a love of writing and have published 2 collections of poetry. "Telling Tails" and Tails Trails and Campfire stories" . I look forward to a future spreading my wings as an author and as a horse woman .

Friday 10 January 2014

" I will Fight no more forever"

The  title, the  speech at his surrender by Chief  Joseph of the Nez Perce  tribe on  October 5 , 1877.
Exerpts from this page (well  worth a look)
Surrender Speech of Chief Joseph

Chief Joseph's Land, by David Manuel 


I Will Fight No More Forever

Surrender Speech by Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce
I am tired of fighting.  Our chiefs are killed.  Looking Glass is dead.  Toohulhulsoteis dead.  The old men are all dead.  It is the young men who say yes or no. He who led the young men is dead.
     It is cold and we have no blankets.  The little children are freezing to death.  My people, some of them, have run away to the hills and have no blankets, no food.  No one knows where they are--perhaps freezing to death.  I want to have time to look for my children and see how many I can find.  Maybe I shall find them among the dead.
     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.


Also the title of a  movie  made to record  the events.
I received  this movie as a  gift  from  Martin,  for Christmas, and tonight  we  sat  down to watch it. initially I though , hmm, another  "Hollywood" version of events and in  the first  few scenes , not an appaloosa to be  seen, but as I sat and  watched , more and more I found the movie  compelling . Its  was  filmed in 1975, and maybe that  time in  history  was  finally being seen in a truer  light, or ...
In  any case , I am  glad I watched. Not your  typical "cowboys and Indians  movie. and  the moment of  Chief  Josephs  surrender  was  portrayed with chilling heartrending effect.
I am and have always  been  proud of the Appaloosa Horses and this movie  showed  what an incredible strength and stamina  they  truly had , carrying the Nez Perce 1100 miles  through  the hard travelling of  mountains, of the Western USA  ,coming to within 40 miles of Canada!
Funny thing , I knew all of this having read the history of the breed  many years  ago, but this  really  brought it home!
The message  "I will  fight no more  forever"  rings  true  for that moment and  for man situations in the world  now.
Glad I watched the movie. Thank You Martin , it was a  wise choice as a gift!
Stay  safe my friends .

9 comments:

Cut-N-Jump said...

It doesn't sound like a typical Cowboys and Indians movie and it also doesn't sound like Hollyweird glamorized things the way they do. Good to know and I will have to see about watching it sometime. Yay Martin for getting the movie for you.

Shirley said...

I remember watching a movie about that journey but I don't think it was this one. So much suffering!

Willow said...

I remember when I was in school, still being a horse fanatic ( well that has never gone ) I did a report on the Appaloosa horse and how they came to be.
I actually would like to see that movie, for the Native American aspect and the Appaloosa info. My great grand mother on my father side of the family was half Cherokee and I have always taken interest in Native American history and culture.

RoeH said...

I lived in Lewiston, Idaho a while and loved the Nez Perce Nation. What a great people they are. And that speech from Chief Joseph is the saddest speech that ever came from anyone. It always will be. He was a peaceful man who was treated terribly by the United States Government. They should be ashamed even today.

Country Gal said...

Never heard of any of it . Sounds interesting I will have to check it all out . Thanks for sharing . Have a good weekend !

Cricket said...

There was a group of Nez Pierce, led by White Bird, who made it through to Canada with a group of about a hundred warriors, women and a large group of children on their Appaloosa horses. They left the night before Chief Joseph surrendered. They made it to the encampment where Sitting Bull was in Canada and lived the rest of their life there.

Cheyenne said...

Cool!! I'm going to check out the link you put up. I love the stuff you post.

GoLightly said...

Great post.
Once I learned the history of how my ancestors treated the people who were already here, I've felt an intrinsic shame. Canada wasn't exactly as benevolent as one could be lead to believe.
It's a shame all countries own, in one form or other. I hope one day we can all look at each other without judgement of "what" we are.
Who we are counts, nothing else.

I truly believe in your breeding program of keeping the best of these horses available. It honours White Bird.
A belated honour, but better late than never.

Some great movies were made in the 70's, I remember them vaguely ;)

C-ingspots said...

I haven't seen this film, but I know about the history - the Nez Perce and their horses. Incredible people, and we have nothing but shame on our sides. So much tragedy, and so much betrayal by our country. And then our Army tried to destroy their amazing horses for no other reason than they were mad at being "bested" in every way possible. So heartwrenchingly sad. I've been to Chief Josephs grave site and it is a very emotional place to be. Without a few wise individuals and God's intervention, we might not have this wonderful horse that we're honored to love and spend our lives with.