This was an attempt by Bryan Adams and his frequent collaborator Jim Vallance to make a statement about the treatment of native Indians by the early white settlers. It was inspired by Chief Joseph, chief of the Nez Perce ("nose pierced") tribe from the 1800s.
Adams had the song name for a couple of years, but had trouble finding a lyrical theme to go with the title. It was Vallance's friend Duris Maxwell (who is of Native American heritage), who suggested Chief Joseph. Vallance recalled on his website : "I went to the Vancouver library and read everything I could find on Joseph, which turned out to be a truly fascinating story. I wrote a page of notes at the library, most of it direct quotes from Joseph's speeches. With a little modification those notes became the basis for the song."
