Although the Nez Perce Indians, who resided along the Palouse River of the northwestern United States, are given credit for breeding the Appaloosa breed, Oriental paintings of 5,000 years ago show horses that show a close resemblance. Chief Joseph and his Nez Perce band surrendered to the U.S. Army in October 1877 and were exiled to Oklahoma. They took with them 1,100 of their carefully bred Appaloosa horses. The breed nearly became extinct in the following years, principally surviving because their spotted coat made them popular in Wild West shows and circuses.