Thunder Rolling in the Mountains  Language Arts Unit; Nimi’ipuu Simulation - Background Information  

Lesson 5: Battle of White Bird - June 14, 1877  By Karen Peterson, Hellgate Elementary 

Summary This lesson will recreate the events that lead up to the Battle of White Bird which started the Nez Perce War of 1877. The lesson will be reenacted by students who have taken the roles of the characters. The reenactment is performed with a smartboard presentations with visual images and interactive dice that are rolled to determine the outcome of the battle. If one of the two parties the red coats (Nimi’ipuu warriors) and the bluecoats (U.S. Soldiers) roll a one on the dice they automatically win the battle. Since the dice are interactive, they may not have the same outcome and the real battle and if that happens the teacher needs to explain. “Collective Mindfulness” may manipulate the results of the interactive dice, which means when 26 students and one teacher, think about a result of the battle or event it is more than likely to happen. 

This lesson addresses the following objectives.

 Students will: 3. Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.a. Use combined knowledge of all letter-sound correspondences, syllabication patterns, and morphology (e.g., roots and affixes) to read accurately unfamiliar multisyllabic words in context and out of context.(Standard 3) 

This lesson addresses the following unit objectives.  

Students will: 4. Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.a. Read on-level text with purpose and understanding.b. Read on-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings.c. Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.

Literature and Information Standards addressed

This lesson addresses the following unit objectives.  

Students will: 2. determine how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.  Include texts by and about American Indians (Key Ideas and details. 3. compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact).

This lesson addresses the following unit objectives 

Students will: 3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details,and clear event sequencesd. Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely.e. Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events. 

This lesson addresses the following unit objectives.  

Students will:1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.a. Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.b. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles.c. Pose and respond to specific questions by making comments that contribute to the discussion and elaborate on the remarks of others.d. Review the key ideas expressed and draw conclusions in light of information and knowledge gained from the discussions. 2. Summarize a written text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally

This lesson addresses the following unit objectives.  

Students will: 4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 5 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.a.Use context (e.g., cause/effect relationships and comparisons in text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

This lesson addresses the following unit objectives 

Students will:1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking Knowledge of LanguageThis lesson addresses the following unit objectives.  Students will:3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. 

 Resources/Materials/Teacher Preparation Computer Lab Students in homeroom should have practiced this battle and be ready to perform, Google document- Question and Battle of White Bird Reaction & Military Tactics

Tel-lik-leen Ceremony This ceremony is where warriors parade on horseback in a circular movements around the village while individually boasting of their battle prowness and war deeds. On June 12, an aged warrior Hahkauts Ilpilp (Red Grizzly Bear) challenged the presence in the ceremony of young participants whose relatives; deaths at the hands of the whites had gone unavenged. “See what you do! Playing brave, you ride over my woman’s hard worked food! If you are so brave, why you not go kill the white man who killed your father, Eagle Robe?” Wahlitit (Shore Crossing) was the son of Eagle Robe, who had been shot to death by Lawrence Ott three years earlier. The challenge from Hahkauts  to Wahlitit only humiliated and angered Wahlitit who was fueld with liquor and sought to avenge his aggressor.# Wahlitit and his cousins Sarpsisilpilp (Red Moccasin Top) and Wetyemtmas Wahyakt (Swan Necklace)  set out to the Salmon River for revenge. The killed four white settlers and wounded another white for killing a cripple named Da Koopin. The actions of Wahlitits and his cousins caused greater division among the five bands. The elders had an informal council regarding the killings, many of the leaders were hunting for the final trip to the reservation, it seemed  since white people were killed the Nimiipuu would forced to go to war. The treaty indians traveled back to the reservation quickly while the non treaty travelled to Cottonwood Creek. Looking Glass sought to avoid trouble with the soldiers led his people to the Clear Creek on the Middle Clearwater. Husis Kute camped with the PaLouses on the South Fork of the Clearwater. The elders were upset that the General had brought a rifle to the last council meeting and took their spiritual leader as a prisoner. Chief Joseph was not present in the council to reason and strategize with the elders he was ashamed of his people for the careless, selfish, revengeful  acts of killing. He knew these actions violated the latest contract the Nimiipuu had with the government and would result in force from the government. Chief Joseph and Ollokot met up with Looking Glass for security. The killings and schisms they were creating dashed any hope that there would be a peaceful movement onto the reservation. The night of killings the Nimiipuu camp was attacked at night. 

White Bird Canyon On June 14 General Howard waited at Lapwai for the non treaty Nimiipuu to arrive. The recent move of the Nimiipuu and the Whitebird settlers became evident that peace was not an option. General Howard commanded two companies to prepare to travel to Whitebird Canyon. Chief Joseph moved the entire Nimiipuu tribe to the Whitebird homeland as the landscape offered high bluffs and deep canyons to view the oncoming enemies. 

Battle of White Bird At daybreak on June 17, 1877 scouts for the Nimiipuu discovered Captain Perry and his column moving deep in the canyon. Captain Perry sent Lieutenant Edward Teller and eight men to scout ahead of the column. The Nimiipuu sent a peace party waving a white flag, to meet Lt Teller with strict instruction NOT to FIRE unless fired upon. Peace. For some reason a volunteer named Arthur Chapman opened fire on the peace party started what is known today as the Nez Perce War. Captain Perry heard the shout and formed a skirmish line and moved forward. The volunteers  also heard the shot and headed for the village, where they received heavy fire from the Nimiipuu which sent them back toward the knoll running out of control.# These actions halted Captain Perry’s advance. The warriors raked the enitre length of Perry’s line with proximatial  threats of power which sent Perry’s men into a frenzy causing them to flee. Since the trumpeter was dead, Captain Perry had no way to communicate with his troops. The terrain offered a huge disadvantage to Company H and Company F, they could not  form a solid line. The Nimiipuu used the terrain to give them an advantage and sent horses stampeding up the hill to both companies. Company H and F now suffered many wounded and killed soldiers and were forced to retreat. Captain Perry had lost thirty-four men and two volunteer wounded.The battle proved that the Nimi’ipuu should be highly respected for their ability to protect their interests and could deliver a blow with stunning accuracy. The troops quickly learned that the warriors were better riders, expert marksman and use innate abilities to outwit their enemies.  None of the the dead soldiers were scalped mutilated or disrespected. The Nimi’ipuu had only three wounded which resulted in their victory. 

War Chief Chief Joseph was the guardian of the tribe because he was a dominant leader and a symbol of unity the man of character and prestige, the superlative representative of their cause. Since the council determines the war chief, Chief Joseph naturally  became the war chief at this point. The management of the tribes is very different than management of white military campaigns. The Nimiipuu way of gaining a war chief is an extremely democratic way to select the war chief as the council of elders and warriors decide and when the leader is doing what is right, they earn the right to stay the guardian or war chief.

 Procedure (Meet in Computer Lab)

1. Instruct students to take out their Battle Maps & Character Web 

2. Discuss previous reading and new characters. Students update their character webs with new characters

3. Students read the Nimi’ipuu Simulation - Background Knowledge of the Events Leading to The Battle At Whitebird Students’ responsibility is to have completed the reading the day before and ableto understand the text and be able to respond appropriately. 

4. Students from homeroom will demonstrate the battle on the smartboard as students check their maps for detailed information. 

5. The video of the battlefield is shown and students review their maps for accuracy6. Students write a reaction to the battle from a character's’ perspective on the  War Tactics Google Document using 5 of the war tactics discussed in class

Formative Assessment  Battle Reenactment with the characters

Summative Assessment  Student Reaction- five tactics to the battle based on their character