- The correct answer is the fact that Chief Joseph of the Nez Percé tribe made this claim
Indeed, during the Nez Perce War, American public opinion had come to admire and respect the Nez Percé because they had always been friendly and peaceful towards white settlers and because they had been so cunning and courageous during their long retreat from their ancestral lands to the Montana Territory. Chief Joseph in particular was quite a celebrity in America and held a great deal of moral authority among white Americans. Therefore, it is very important for a summary to mention him.