Chief Joseph
Original Pen & Ink
With this pen & ink portrait of Chief Joseph, (1840-1904) who was a leader of the Wallowa band of the Nez Perce Tribe, I honor the rich cultural heritage of the Native American people. We should look with understanding at the wisdom of the ancient ones and see them as guides to what could be.
 
“I am tired. My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever.”
On October 5, 1877, Chief Joseph spoke these words during his surrender in the Bear Paw Mountains of Montana. Chief Joseph and his 750 warriors outwitted over 3,000 soldiers for almost four months across 1,400 miles across Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. They were 40 miles from the Canadian border and freedom. For his military genius during the retreat, he was widely referred to by the American press as the "Red Napoleon." His insight and strategy are still studied at West Point today. Joseph, who became renowned as a humanitarian and peacemaker died in 1904, at the age of 64, of what his doctor called "a broken heart."
 
This Original Pen & Ink is created on cold pressed heavy weight watercolor paper. The wooden frame is wrapped with patinaed copper. Overall size is 23”X 29