Bison crossing Yellowstone River at Nez Perce Ford, Yellowstone National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), Wyoming, August 7, 2010 (Pentax K10D)
Nez Perce in Yellowstone1
During the 1877 Nez Perce War, several bands of the Nez Perce tribe refused to give up their Pacific Northwest ancestral lands and be moved to a reservation in Idaho. After the first armed engagement in June, 1877, they undertook an arduous 1,170 mile trek to find sanctuary with other tribes. Pursued by elements of the U.S. Army, they fought a series of battles and skirmishes along their June to October journey. Passing through Yellowstone National Park, between August 23 and September 6, the Nez Perce had several hostile and deadly encounters with park visitors, killing at least two and wounding several. To prevent news of their location from reaching the army, after leaving the park across the Absaroka Mountains, the Nez Perce hunted down and killed white prospectors and hunters.
Nez Perce Ford is the location of Chief Joseph’s crossing of the Yellowstone River on August 25, 1877. First named by superintendent Philetus Norris in 1880, the ford has also been known as Chief Joseph’s Crossing and Buffalo Ford (1946).
Reference:
- Wikipedia (accessed June 2, 2018)
