my question would be which Joseph was this rifle attributed to.
you do realize that yah-lat-kekt “Hinmatóowyalahtqit”
, the person most people recognize was young Joseph .
Tuekakas was youn josephs father . Both were principle band cheifs of the Walla Walla Nez Pierce .
Old Joseph died in 1871 and young Joseph became the principle . So more then likely the rifle your looking at may very well have been old josephs not yah-lat-kekt .
Thats “IF “ the rifle is attributed correctly in the first place .
As to why I say that . Well I grew up on the NP Rez at Lapwai and I can tell you as a boy just about everyone was a descendant or claimed to have items that belonged to Joseph.
That was well before there was a cultural center at Lapwai .
As to information , the gun if recognized is either at Lapwia or Colville as those were the two main reservations where the people were sent . if young Joseph actually had the rifle at the time he left Chilocco. But then lets also remember that Chilocco and all the others schools of that time were about killing off the cultures of the peoples who ended up there and replacing them with government reliance and a dependency on agriculture for sustenance .
Now the NP service says that this was Young josephs rifle that he used when he was exiled to Oklahoma
Now maybe that’s me , but I find that rather odd considering the time frame. Its possible I guess . But frankly IMO it doesn’t fit but that’s neither here or there . The fact is that it may very well be true . But I wouldn’t trust the US government or an Indian school to get anything right when it comes to American Indians or the history of any of our peoples . Frankly the rifle could as easily been one of Quanah Parkers or anyone else for that mater .
then why an old outdated muzzleloader when according to the Smithsonian. Joseph surrendered a lever action rifle in 1877 . Which by the way , they say they also have ..
But them maybe it was figured he wouldn’t be a threat with such a rifle
But putting all that aside and speaking of the rifle itself . Ya it appears to be cut down from a full stock .
But again why would that have been done in the time frame by Joseph, in Oklahoma .
By 1877 the herds were gone . So why the need for a short runner type rifle ?
But then if it was cut down , why the use of a nose cap ?
Which I would doubt would have been done or found needed if it was done by an AI who wished to shorten the barrel .
anyway , thats my thoughts on it
