The American Presidency

CONTENTS OF CURRICULUM UNIT 12.03.10

  1. Unit Guide
  1. Introduction:
  2. Rationale:
  3. Importance of a Government:
  4. Learning Objectives:
  5. Demographics:
  6. Chronological Culture:
  7. Kit Carson –Destroy and Conquer Campaign
  8. Treaty of 1968:
  9. Western Influence on the Dine:
  10. Navajo Tribal Code vs. Navajo Constitution
  11. Navajo Tribal Code vs. Constitution:
  12. Limits to Dine Government Power:
  13. Executive Branch of Dine Nation:
  14. Rules Before the Constitution:
  15. The Founders and the United States Constitution:
  16. A Call for a Convention:
  17. Success of the Convention:
  18. Commander in Chief:
  19. Collaborative Learning Activities:
  20. Essential Questions:
  21. Endnotes
  22. Works Cited

Naataanii'

Lucille Mitchell-Gagnon

Published September 2012

Tools for this Unit:

Kit Carson –Destroy and Conquer Campaign

"The "Destroy and Conquer" campaign was a tactic Kit Carson, Bi'ee'lchi'i and his Calvary used against the Dine people." The soldiers burned Navajo crops like corn, peach tree orchards, hogans, and killed livestock in order for the Dine people to surrender and be gathered for the Long Walk to Bosque Redondo.

With scarce food, Kiilchii's (Henry Chee Dodge) mother left him with his aunt in hopes to find food. She did not return. Due to the scarcity of food supply Chee's aunt left him behind with a family to care for him. He was soon abandoned and left to fend for himself. Months later he was found by a family on their way to surrender themselves to Kit Carson's soldiers in Fort Defiance to survive the hunger and cold of winter. Chee and his family were driven on the Long Walk among 8,000 Dine people. The walk was long and tiring. Some Dine never completed the walk to Fort Summer because of the harsh severity, harsh and grueling journey of more than 300 miles.

Navajos who stayed in Dine bikeyah during Hweeldi, (Long Walk), hid in rock shelters, arroyos, canyons, mountains or with other tribes to be safe from Kit Carson's soldiers. The Dine people went as far as the Grand Canyon, up to Ute country, Dinetah, Mount Taylor, south to the Apache tribe, San Francisco Peaks, Sedona area and other remote places within Dine bikeyah to remain hidden from the soldiers of Kit Carson.

The Dine people suffered from lack of food at Hweeldi, Bosque Redondo. They ate anything to survive, even dead animals. Eating crows or coyote meat tasted bitter. Skunk meat was good except for the fact of the stench. Navajos were also given food rations of flour infested with bugs, spoiled slab of bacon and green coffee beans. The Navajo people did not know of coffee beans. Dine people boiled coffee beans as a staple food. Unaware of what coffee really was, the coffee was poured out onto the ground and the beans were consumed, not to their liking. Many of the Dine people got sick eating foods they were unfamiliar with. Many captives died of dysentery during the first weeks in captivity. 4

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