March 6, 1864: 8,000 Navajos begin the “Long Walk”, a 350 mile forced relocation to Bosque Redondo.

In 1863, the United States government inaugurated efforts toward the forcible removal of a large percentage of the Navajo Nation from their homeland on the Colorado Plateau to a reservation along the Pecos River in eastern New Mexico. This reservation, known as Ft. Sumner or Hwéeldi, was originally envisioned as a permanent home for the Navajo.

This policy, and the events linked to it, is rooted in the tenor of the times. It reflects not only attitudes toward American Indians in general, and Navajos specifically, but was also part and parcel of what has come to be called "manifest destiny." In brief, manifest destiny was an Anglo-European attitude that lands occupied by American Indians could be put to more productive uses by white settlers. This however, required that Indian groups be pacified or physically removed from their homelands, thereby freeing up these lands for white settlement. The instigator of this policy, General James H. Carleton, was involved in a wide variety of non-military activities that presupposed removal of Indians from their homelands. In particular, he was a strong advocate of Eastern capitalists who were interested in establishing mining operations on Indian lands.

In addition, throughout history there had been raids by Navajo on New Mexican settlements that were, in turn, reciprocated with a vengeance by settlers upon the Navajo Nation. This pattern of reciprocal raiding reached in crescendo in the mid-nineteenth century as Navajo found themselves subject to raids not only from New Mexican settlers, but Utes, Paiutes, Hopis, Comanches, and myriad other semi-nomadic tribes of the Southwest. In an effort to replenish their lost livestock and other goods, the Navajo turned with increasing frequency to raids on Rio Grande settlements. The result was formation of volunteer units by New Mexican authorities to "punish" the Navajo and calls for their subjugation, if not extermination.

One of the less-recognized factors contributing to policies culminating in the Long Walk was Anglo enthusiasm for and interest in potential mineral wealth. As will be shown, General James H. Carleton was involved in a series of questionable activities regarding mining, the cumulative effect of which appears to have contributed to his decision to remove Navajos from their homeland (Acrey 1994:38).

This interest was prompted by gold discoveries such as the ones at Old and New Placers in the 1830s. In 1850, placer gold was discovered in the Jicarilla Mountains - certainly one of New Mexico's remoter corners (Christiansen 1974:30, 39). Finally, the first major lead and gold deposits were found in the southern part of New Mexico near Organ and Piños Altos in 1858 and 1859, respectively (Anderson 1957:5, Christiansen 1974:28-29). Yet, perhaps the biggest factor contributing to mining fever was the discovery, in 1863, of the first major silver lodes near Magdalena, New Mexico, followed in 1864 by the discovery of substantial high-grade silver deposits near Silver City, NM (Anderson 1957:5, Christiansen 1974:40). These ore discoveries, coinciding as they did with large influxes of Anglos in the years following 1848, further fanned mine fever.

Indeed, General James H. Carleton's Indian policy of the 1860s, which included removing over 8,000 Navajos and a smaller number of Mescalero Apache to Bosque Redondo, may have been prompted, at least in part, by the lure of potential mineral riches. Carleton actively encouraged his soldiers to prospect for precious metals and send in reports of likely mineral areas. In 1854, for example, Kit Carson reported that "In regard to the new Silver Leads I am not sufficiently posted yet to say much about them but will advise you of the first favorable opportunity I hear of" (NARA, RG 98, Letters Received, Carson to Carleton 4/12/65). Similarly, one of Carleton's subordinates was notified by a trooper that: "There is a report here that gold has been found in large quantities on Little Red River. I hope that it is true. When the command returns I suppose that we shall learn all about it" (NARA, RG 98, Letters Received, Need to Cutler, 29 September 1863).

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