Page 1 My friends I have been asked to show you my heart. I am glad to have a chance to do so. I want the white people to understand my people. Some of you think an Indian is like an wild animal. This is a great mistake. I will tell you about our people and then you can judge whether an Indian is a man or not.  I believe much trouble and blood will be saved if we open our hearts more.  I will tell you in my way how the Indian see things.The white man has more words to tell you how they look to him, but it does not require many words to speak the truth.What I have to say will come from my heart and I will speak with straight tounge, Ah-cum-kin-i-ma-me-hut (The Great Spirit) is looking at me,and will hear my name is In-mut-too-yah-lat-lut,Thunder Traveling Over the Mountain, I am Chief of the Wal-lam-wat-kin , band of Chut-pa-lu or Nez Perces', noes-pierced Indians.  I was born in Eastern Oregon, thirty-eight winters ago my father was Chief before me.  When a young man he was called Joseph by M. Spaulding, a  missionary.  He died a few years ago and left a good name on earth.  He advised me well for my people our fathers gave us many laws which had learned from their fathers.  These laws were good.  They told us to treat all men as they treated us, that we should never be first to break a bargin,that it was a disgrace to tell a lie, that we should only speak the truth, that it was a shame for one man to take from another his wife or his property without paying for it.  We were taught that the Great Spirit sees and hears everything and that he never forgets that here after he will give every man a spirit-home according to his desserts.  If he has been a good man he will have a good home, if he has been a bad man he will have a bad home.  This I believe and all my people believe the same.  We did not know there were other people besides the Indian, until about one hundred winters ago when some men with white faces came to our country.  They brought many things with them to trade for furs and skins.  They brought tobacco which was new to us.  They brought guns with flint stones on them.  Which frightened our women and children.  Our people could not talk with these white-faced men but they used signs which all people understand.These men were frenchmen and they called our people Nez Perces' because they wore rings in ther noses for ornaments.  Although very few of our people wear them now.  We are still called by the same name.  These French trappers said a great many things to our fathers,which have been planted in our hearts.  Some were good for us but some were bad.  Our people were divided in opinion about these men. Some thought they taught more bad than good.An Indian respects a braveman but he despises a coward.  He loves a straight tounge but he hates a forked tounge.  The French trappers told us some truth and some lies.  The first white man of your people who came to our country were named Lewis & Clark, they also brought many things that our people have never seen.  They talked straight and our people gave them a great feast as a proof that their hearts were friendly.  These men were very kind.  They made presents to our Chiefs and our people made presents to them.  We had a great many horses of which we gave them what they needed.  And they gave us guns and tobacco in return.  All the Nez Perce' made friend with Lewis & Clark and agreed to let them pass through their country and never to make war on the white man.  This promise the Nez perce' has never broken.  No white man can accuse them of bad faith and speak with straight tounge.  It has always been the pride of the Nez Perce' that they were friends of the white man.  When my father was a young man there came to our country a white man Rev. Mr. Spaulding who talked spirit law.  He won the affection of our people because he spoke good things to them.At first he did not say anything white men wanting to settle on our lands.Nothing was said util about  twenty winters ago when a number of white men came into our country and built houses and made farms.  At first our people made no complaints they thought there was room enough for all to live in Peace and they were learning many things from the white man that seemed to be good.  But we soon found that the white man were growing rich and were greedy to possess everything the Indian had.  My father was the first to see through the schemes of the white men and warned his tribe to be careful about trading with them.  He has suspicion of men who seemed anxious to make money, I was a boy then but I remeber well my father's caution, he had shaper eyes than the rest of our people.  Next came a white officer Govenor Stevens who invited all the Nez Perce' to a tready coincil.  After the council was opened he made his heart known.He said there were a great many white people in our country and many more would come, that he wanted land marked out so that the Indians and white men coulds be seperated if there was to be Peace it was necessary.He said that the Indians should have a country set apart for them and in that country they must stay.  My father who represented his band refused to have anything to do with the council because he wished to be a free man.  He claimed that no man owned any part of the earth and a man could not sell what he did not own.  Mr. Spaulding took hold of my fathers arm and said "Come and sign the treaty",my father pushed him away and said "Why do you ask me to sign away my country?  It is your business to talk to us about spiritual matters and not talk to us about parting with our lands" Govenor Stevens urged my father to sign his treaty but refused."I will not sign your paper" he said "You go where you please so do I, you are not a child, I am not a child.  I can think for myself, no man can think for me, I have no home other than this, I will not give it up to any man.  My people would have no home.  Take away your paper, I will not touch it with my hand." My father left the council.