Introduction
In public education, the history of the Navajo Long Walk is often overlooked. When the Navajo Long Walk is mentioned, many people, even students, are unfamiliar with this event in United States history and the lasting impact it had on the Diné (Navajo) people. Instead, many are more familiar with the Trail of Tears or have little knowledge of this tragic event in American history.
If you were to open a history or social studies textbook, you would find little to no information about the Navajo Long Walk. When the event is mentioned, it is often rewritten from the view of the United States, giving little attention to the tyranny experienced by the Diné people, their forced removal from their ancestral homeland, and their resistance throughout this period.
This curriculum unit focuses on the resistance of the Navajo people to the tyranny imposed by the United States government, beginning with the historical context of the Mexican-American War and continuing through the Navajo Long Walk. They will then focus on the events of the Navajo Long Walk and analyze the Treaty of 1868, exploring how the Navajo people resisted forced removal and negotiated for the right to return to their homeland (Diné Bikéyah).
Students will also explore brief information on how Chief Manuelito (1818–1893), a prominent Navajo leader, resisted the actions of the United States government and military. His leadership during the negotiations of the Treaty of 1868 helped the Navajo people return to their homeland while protecting important aspects of their culture and way of life. Students will also look closely at the Treaty of 1868 to identify the provisions that reflect Navajo resistance and negotiation, as well as those that reveal the United States government's efforts to impose assimilation. Through this study, students will develop a better understanding of abuse of power and the importance of resistance.
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