Navajo + U.S. Interactions
During the 1860s, Manifest Destiny—the belief that the United States was destined to conquer North America—drove American explorers westward into Diné territory. Determined to seize the land’s natural resources, Americans launched a scorched-earth policy, decimating Diné society. Forced to walk 400 miles to the Bosque Redondo reservation in eastern New Mexico, hundreds of Diné died from starvation, disease, and brutality.
The Long Walk, mural painting by Shonto Begay, 2012, Bosque Redondo Memorial
My Father’s Torture, mural painting by Shonto Begay, 2012, Bosque Redondo Memorial
At Bosque Redondo, the Diné faced internment-like conditions. Guards imposed American values and prohibited them from leaving. Under uninhabitable conditions, thousands of Diné died. As photos of the camp emerged, government officials deemed the camp unsustainable and agreed to the Treaty of Bosque Redondo, allowing the Diné to return to the Four Corners region between Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and New Mexico.
Navajo captives under guard at Fort Sumner, 1864-1868, United States Army Signal Corps
Navajo at Bosque Redondo lining up for a photograph, 1865, National Archives
However, the treaty reduced their land by 85% and placed the Diné under government control. The government implemented boarding schools to erase Diné language, taking on the supposedly paternalistic responsibility of “civilizing” the “lesser” natives.
Treaty of Bosque Redondo, 1868, National Archives
Map of Navajo Nation by Cartographic Concepts, Inc.