Hear Me My Chiefs

LUCULLUS VIRGIL MCWHORTER was born in 1860 in a log cabin in what is now West Virginia. From his earliest childhood,

he was interested in everything pertaining to Indians. McWhorter realized a long-time dream in 1903 when he moved to Yakima, Washington. He became acquainted with many Native Americans.

He was one of the few whites to stand up for Indians in land and water disputes in that period.

In 1940, The Caxton Printers published McWhorter’s Yellow Wolf: His Own Story, a first-person account of a warrior who fought in the 1877 Nez Perce War.

McWhorter decided to delve deeper into the history and legends of the Nez Perce people. Unfortunately, he died in 1944 before completing the new manuscript.

His son, V.O. McWhorter, organized the material with the help of staff of State College of Washington at Pullman (today’s Washington State University). The first edition of Hear Me, My Chiefs was published in 1952.

Today, McWhorter’s two books on the Nez Perce are considered foundation material for any study of that Pacific Northwest culture.

Author: Lucullus Virgil McWhorter
735 pages - maps and photos
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