Bitterroot: An American Epic

"From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever." These words of Chief Joseph concluded a thousand-mile odyssey of 750 Nez Perce adults, children, and their elderly. Pursued by the US Army and Cavalry, the Nimiipuu fought battles, crossed the forbidding Bitterroot Mountains with their herds, and maintained their humanity and heritage against overwhelming odds. Bitterroot is dramatized history, giving voice to Joseph, Looking Glass, White Necklace, Half Man Half Woman, Howard "The Christian Soldier," Calamity Jane, and Yellowstone Kelley—providing a mirror with which to see ourselves today. It portrays a conflicted America: racism, religious intolerance, and greed at war with liberty and equality. Such an epic story reminds us of our common humanity. "It is for the young generation behind us," said Yellow Wolf. "I want the next generation of whites to know and treat the Indians as themselves."