Valley of the Broken (Sage of Sevens Book 1)
Page 26
In the end, Carson and Carleton relocated between 7,000-10,000 Apache and Navajo to Bosque Redondo. This was accomplished by 53 forced marches over a two-year period.
Next, Carleton tried and failed to change the Navajo and Apache refugees into successful farmers. Unfortunately, he underestimated the amount of food that would need to be grown to feed the large population of the camp. He also didn’t realize that crops that grew well back East would produce much less in the arid New Mexican highlands. Lastly, he didn’t consider the long-standing hostility between the two enemy tribes. During Bosque Redondo’s four short years of existence, another estimated 2,380 people died.
Eventually, word spread about the terrible conditions at Bosque Redondo and public outcry forced officials to act. In 1866, the New Mexico Territorial Assembly, in a nearly unanimous vote, asked President Johnson to replace Carleton. It took two more years, but on June 1, 1868, the Treaty of Bosque Redondo was signed at Fort Sumner. The Navajo were then allowed to leave the camp and return to a portion of their former territory in western New Mexico and eastern Arizona. This is one of the only Native American tribes that was allowed to return to its traditional territory by the United States government.
My reason for including this appendix and sources for further reading is to encourage readers to learn about this neglected part of American history. I grew up in Colorado and studied Western history during my school years, but I was still shocked to learn about the suffering that happened around where I lived. The Ute, Arapaho, Cheyenne, Apache, Navajo, Comanche, Pueblo tribes, and others, all have their own unique tales of abuse, displacement, and anguish.
One thread in Valley of the Broken is that evil does not happen in a vacuum. It continues to exist and grow if it is not recognized, repented of, and atoned for. Each of us has a part to play in bringing healing to our nation and all its inhabitants. Understanding our history is a good first step.
Sources and for Further Reading:
Bailey, Lynn R. The Long Walk: A History of the Navajo Wars, 1846-68. Pasadena: Socio-Technical Books, 1970.
Carter, Harvey Lewis. 'Dear Old Kit': The Historical Christopher Carson. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1968.
Gordon-McCutchan, R. C., ed. Kit Carson: Indian Fighter or Indian Killer? Niwot: University Press of Colorado, 1996.
Johnson, Broderick H. Navajo Stories of the Long Walk. Tsaile: Navajo Community College, 1973.
Kelly, Lawrence. Navajo roundup; selected correspondence of Kit Carson's expedition against the Navajo, 1863-1865. Pruett Publishing Company, Boulder, 1970.
Roessel, Ruth, ed. (1973). Navajo Stories of the Long Walk Period. Tsaile, Arizona: Navajo Community College Press
About the Author
K. F. Baugh grew up as a true Colorado girl, carted off to the mountains in the back of her parent’s Subaru almost every weekend. As an adult, she served with a humanitarian aid/missions organization for most of her 20s, primarily in war-torn Kosovo after the Yugoslav Wars, helping with relief and community development projects. For the moment she resides in Colorado again with her husband, two children and two hyper huskies. The unique landscape of the American West inspires all her stories, both the ones she writes and the ones that stay in her head. Visit westnowthen.com to find out more about K. F. Baugh and her books.
Keep up with K. F. Baugh:
www.westnowthen.com
kfbaugh@gmail.com