The Long Walk, Hweeldi
Introduction
In 1846, the United States gained control over Navajo lands
through the U. S. - Mexican Treaty of Guadalupe Hildalgo. As part of the agreement,
the United States promised to protect settlements in the area. During this time,
Apaches, Navajos, Pueblos, Utes, and New Mexicans raided each other and other
settlements which were in their paths.
The United States government set out to stop these raids by
negotiating treaties with the different groups. Treaties were signed and boundaries
were established. However, with each treaty, the Navajo felt more mistreated and
cheated out. Fort Defiance was established on the Navajo Reservation to curb
trading in slaves and illegal goods and in 1858, the Bonneville Treaty gave away the
Navajo's best grazing land and required them to pay New Mexicans for livestock
losses caused by Navajos without including provisions for Navajo losses caused by
New Mexicans.
Pushed to their limits, the Navajos attacked Fort Defiance and the
United States retaliated. Col. Kit Carson gathered a force of soldiers along with
some Apaches, Utes, and New Mexicans to arrest Navajos who refused to surrender at
Fort Defiance. Many Navajos took refuge at Canyon de Chelly, Arizona but were
followed by Carson who destroyed their homes, crops, orchards, and livestock. With
winter approaching, some surrendered and about 8,000 were forced to walk 300 miles
from Fort Defiance to Fort Sumner, New Mexico.
The Long Walk
This trek is called the Long Walk. It was a hard, sad trip.
It was cold and snowing. Some people died of frostbite. Others died from
diseases they got from the other soldiers. Sometimes, the soldiers killed people
who became ill and could not go on. This is one story told by our elders about
the Long Walk.
“This story was told by my ancestors. They were on the
Long Walk with their daughter. The daughter was about to have a baby. Somewhere,
the daughter got tired and weak. She couldn’t keep up with the others."
“So my ancestors asked the soldiers to stop for awhile, and
let the woman give birth. But the soldiers wouldn’t do it. They made the
people move on. “Go ahead,’ the daughter said, ‘Things might come
out all right for me.’
But she was wrong. Not long after that, they heard a gunshot from
behind.
“Maybe we should go back and do something, or at least cover
the body with dirt,’ one of them said.
By that time a soldier came riding up from behind. He must have
shot her to death. That’s the way the story goes.”
Hard times at Ft. Sumner
The Navajos found Apaches living at Fort Sumner. The Navajos
and Apaches were told they would have plenty of food, clothing and shelter. But
this was not true. There was not enough wood for fires. There was not enough
wood to build shelters.
The People had to go many miles for wood. When they went to get
wood, they were attacked by Comanches. The Comanches said the people were
living on Comanche land. The Comanches did not want the Navajos there.
There was not enough food. Sometimes, the food was spoiled. The
people went hungry. They tried to plant crops, but nothing would grow in the dry
soil. When corn grew, it was eaten by the worms.
Many Navajos died at Fort Sumner. Some starved to death. Others
became ill. They caught a disease called smallpox. Over 2,000 Navajos died
of this.
Finally, Barboncito, a Navajo leader, was allowed to go to
Washington, D. C. There, he talked to leaders of the United States government. He
told them about Fort Sumner. He told them about the poor crops. He told them about
the hungry and dying people. He told them about the Comanches. He said the Navajos
wanted to Leave Fort Sumner. They wanted to return to their old country.
Some Washington leaders came to Fort Sumner to see for themselves.
They saw that Barboncito told the truth. At Fort Sumner, other Navajo leaders
spoke to the Washington leaders. One man, Herrero, said this.
“We want to have the herds we have had before. Here, we are
hungry. We know this is Comanche country. We are afraid the Comanches will come
here and steal our stock. The Comanches told me this land belongs to them. The
water belongs to them. The hunting grounds belong to them. The wood belongs to
them. And I believe it, because every day they come here and steal out stock. I
think when our young men go out after wood, they won’t come back again. Our
enemies are all around us.
“I am thinking about my old country. There I would be safe
from enemies. Here we do not have that chance."
“I think we were all created equal. We have all been
born by the same Mother Earth. We want to go back to our own country.”
Peace
The Washington leaders agreed to let the people leave Fort Sumner.
Carleton and his idea were wrong, the Washington leaders said. “It is right
for you to go back to your old country,” he told the Navajos.
After this, 29 headmen signed the “old paper.” This
was a peace treaty with the Americans. It was the last treaty the Navajos
signed. It said the Navajos and Americans would live in peace. It said the
Navajos would not go on raids. They would have a new reservation in part of the
old Navajo country but it was only about one-fifth the size of the lands they had
before.
Then, in June 1868 the people left Fort Sumner and started back
to their homes. About 7,000 Navajos left and it was a long trip. It is said that
when some people finally saw Mt. Taylor, they fell down on their knees and cried
tears of happiness.
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