The Nez Perce Wars The Nez Perce had always been friendly to the white men. But then gold was discovered on their land, and miners, gamblers, and settlers flooded the Columbia Basin. Gradually, the Nez Perce reservation was whittled away by corrupt officials with the backing of the military might of the United States Army. Rather than fight, Chief Joseph, celebrated by military historians as "The Indian Napoleon," led his people north to Canada where they could live in freedom. But the United States had other plans for the Nez Perce.