| Cheif by the name Ho-hast,-ill-pilp**
- Hohots Ilppilp. His name referred to a red, or bleeding,
grizzly bear, his spiritual animal helper or guardian. From
this, or from his many battles scars, later whites called him "The
Bloody Chief." The Nez Perce word is xaxa-c 'ilpilp,
"red grizzly." He was still alive in the early 1840's when he
claimed to be the oldest chief of the Nez Perces, and spoke to
whites of having met Lewis and Clark. He was friendly to the
missionaries and his grandson, Ellis, having received an education
in English, was designated "head chief" by U.S. authorities.
Nez Perce legend asserts that the sister of Red Grizzly Bear bore a
son by William Clark. This man, who had light hair, was proud
of his ancestry and would proclaim "Me Clark!" He was
photographed at least once, in his old age. He was with the
famous Nez Perce flight in 1877, and with this group was deported to
Indian Territory, where he died. His descendants were known by
the name of Clark. Reportedly a black child was also born
after the expedition's passing, but did not live to maturity.
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