| Toohoolhoolzote | |
| Tribe: | Nez Perce Pikunan band |
| Birth Date: | c. 1820s |
| Death Date: | September 30, 1877[1] [2] |
| Death Place: | Bear Paw Mountains, Montana |
| Native Name: | Toohoolhoozote (Sound made when striking any vibrant timber or metal with a hard substance) |
| Known For: | Nez Perce War |
| Death Cause: | Battle of Bear Paw |
Toohoolhoolzote (born c. 1820s, died September 30, 1877) was a Nez Perce leader who fought in the Nez Perce War. He fought after first advocating peace, and died at the Battle of Bear Paw.[3] [4]
At a winter meeting in 1876, Toohoolhoolzote had been appointed the head speaker for the Nez Perce bands of Joseph, Looking Glass, White Bird and his own for the coming meeting with U.S. Army General Oliver O. Howard.[5] The leaders allowed him to speak for them, and to deny or allow the military's demands.[5]
In the upcoming conflict his following of 50 people was fourth in size after Joseph's (about 300 people), White Bird (about 250 people), and Looking Glass (about 70 people). These Nez Perce bands totaled about 660 men, women and children. Of those fewer than 200 were men. About half that number were considered in prime warrior age. As the conflict progressed, more bands would join, with a maximum fighting strength of 250 or less.[6] This includes about 25 Palus men under the chief Hahtalekin (also known as Taktsoukt Jlppilp - "Echo" or "Red Echo") and Husishusis Kute (Husis Husis Kute, Hush-hush-cute - "Bald Head", "Naked Head").
One of the major concerns of the leaders was that they have sufficient time to prepare to leave and to move their livestock.[5] They wanted to wait until autumn as a minimum, or ideally, a year.[5] Toohoolhoolzote also expressed the natives' reluctance to sell their land, which went against their religious beliefs.[3]
The military, on the other hand, demanded that they be moved in 30 days, or the soldiers would use force. General Oliver O. Howard put this to them strongly, after Toohoolhoolzote began to speak on the sacredness of the Earth to his people:
Toohoolhoolzote stood up to General Howard, and told him he would not obey. Yellow Wolf reported the final words: This arrest was one of the events which ultimately led to the war.[3]
Toohoolhoolzote's use of the Nez Perce word simiakia is not clearly defined anywhere online. The following quotations illustrate some of its meaning. The quotes are from contemporary times, long after Toohoolhoolzote uttered the word.
As a follower of the Dreamer Faith, he tried to be a pacifist.[3] The Dreamer religion called for throwing off white culture peacefully, by rejecting it and not participating in it.[7] Yellow Wolf said of him:
Although he advocated for peace, when pushed he became a strong fighter, labeled "fighter from hell" by writers of the era.[3]
According to the Nez Perce dictionary, Toohoolhoolzote was a transliteration of tukulkulcúᐧt, which meant antelope.[8]