He opposed giving up land he had not agreed to give up, and he also understood that armed conflict with the United States Army was a losing proposition.

He sought peace throughout, and when peace became impossible, he fought as effectively as the situation allowed.

At Bear Paw, the question of what to do was a question of assessment.

Joseph, surrounded by the most vulnerable members of the camp, assessed that the promises offered by Miles and Howard were worth accepting to stop the immediate suffering.

White Bird, in a position where escape remained possible, assessed that the promises were not worth trusting and that escape — with all its dangers and uncertainties — was preferable to surrender.

Both assessments were reasonable given the available information and the specific situations each man faced.