NAVAJO LONG WALK: THE TRAGIC STORY OF A PROUD PEOPLE'S FORCED MARCH FROM THEIR HOMELAND

Bruchac, Joseph.  Ill. by Shonto Begay.  Navajo Long Walk:  The Tragic Story of a Proud People's Forced March from Their Homeland.  Washington, D.C.:  National Geographic Society, 2002.  ISBN 0-7922-7058-4.


Plot Summary

In 1864, the Navajo Indians were driven from their sacred homeland and forced to walk 470 miles from Fort Defiance/Fort Canby to Fort Sumner/Bosque Redondo Reservation.  They endured unbearable living conditions until they were allowed to return to their homeland in 1868. 

 

 

Critical Analysis

Joseph Bruchac is of Abenaki heritage, and he has authored numerous books on various Native American cultures.  Unfortunately, Bruchac does not provide any historical notes or reference any data to collaborate his story.  Navajo Long Walk:  The Tragic Story of a Proud People's Forced March from Their Homeland is told from the Navajo perspective and is set in New Mexico, with information spanning from 1540-1869.  Bruchac's introduction tells the reader, "we were given two ears so that we may hear both sides of every story." 

The Navajos call themselves "Diné," which means "the People."  "Dinetah" is the name given to their sacred homeland.  The Navajos learned to raise crops and become animal herders.  The term "Navajo" means "people with planted fields."  They were a people who wanted peace and only retaliated when outsiders struck the first blow.  They were unable to convey their peaceful intentions to the army.  The Navajos were not viewed as human beings by General James H. Carleton, who was the New Mexico military commander in the 1860's.  ""An Indian," he wrote, "is more watchful and wary an animal than a deer.  He must be hunted with skill...""  The Navajos call the time of their exile "Nidahadzid daa," which means "Fearing Time."  They were forced to leave their homeland as the army burned down their hogans, their homes made of logs and mud, and killed anyone who dared attempt an escape.  A map of the United States, with the New Mexico territory enlarged, shows the deadly 470 mile trek the Navajos were forced to march from Fort Defiance/Fort Canby to Fort Sumner/Bosque Redondo Reservation, as the army rode on horses or in wagons.

Shonto Begay is of Navajo descent and portrayed such great emotion in his illustrations.  If one only had Begay's illustrations and notes, a very moving story would quickly unfold.  The most interesting aspect of his work are the notes he provides to the reader for his acrylic paintings on clay board.  For example, the first blue and white illustration is of a coyote in the foreground with a long line of people trudging along a path overseen by a man on horseback holding a rifle.  Begay's note explains his work:  "The coyote foresees the hardship and death that lie ahead for the Navajos.  The monochromatic color scheme emphasizes the darkness of this terrible time."  The Navajos are barely distinguishable in this illustration as the darkness of the painting hides their features in its shadows.  In contrast, Begay's last acrylic illustration is much brighter.  The blue and white coyote is again in the foreground.  A circle of Navajos are adorned in breechcloths, moccasin boots, and cloth headbands which secure their long, black hair.  All of the clothing is the same blue and white as the coyote.  There is a lot of yellow, perhaps representational of fire, which illuminates these men with light- or medium-brown skin tones.  Begay's note explains this painting:  "Coyote gently exits the circle, foretelling the Navajos' impending release.  The bright light represents the hope that negotiations with the Peace Commission will be successful."

According to the Tribal Directory website, "The figure of the coyote holds a variety of meanings for Native Americans. In Native American storytelling, the role of a coyote in a story helps to communicate a particular lesson about life to listeners. Native Americans also look to the behavior of the coyote in nature as a guide on how to lead a life of balance and happiness"  (http://www.tribaldirectory.net/articles/coyote-facts.html).  Bruchac says this about the  coyote in the Navajo culture, "Coyote is one of the Navajo Holy People and holds a deeply sacred place in Navajo belief."

In between the hauntingly beautiful acrylic illustrations are watercolor illustrations in brown, black, and white.  It appears that two of the illustrations show a Navajo with either a goatee or mustache, which would not be historically accurate.  Another watercolor illustration shows a Navajo with what appears to be a baseball cap facing backwards.  Surely, this is not the case for an illustration set in the 1800's; however, that is the way it looks.  In the illustrations depicting the Navajos enduring the forced march, they all appear to be wrapped from head to foot in blankets.  This contradicts the text when Bruchac recounts what General Carleton wrote, "The weather was very inclement, with terrible gales of wind and heavy snow.  The Indians were nearly naked."  Putting aside the raised eyebrow over questions of historical accuracy and lack of symmetry with the text, the illustrations portray the devastation felt by this proud people and their determined defiance to overcome the travesty of justice imposed by the white man.

In spite of the hardships and injustices endured by the Navajo people, they banded together and kept the flame of faith alive that one day they would return to the land which was rightfully theirs.  Readers of all cultures can learn from the strength of these Native Americans.  Life may not deal a fair hand, but one must play through to the end.  Never waver.  Never give up.  Stay strong to the end, and always have hope that one day redemption will rise above the horizon.

 

 

Awards and Honors for Joseph Bruchac

 

Lifetime Achievement Award from the Native Writers Circle of the Americas

Rockefeller Humanities fellowship

NEA Poetry fellowship

 

 

Review Excerpts

“In the 1860s, thousands of Navajo were forced to relocate from their sacred land in western New Mexico to the Bosque Redondo Reservation hundreds of miles to the east; the story of that relocation is recounted here through text fiercely sympathetic to the Indians' plight and through a gallery of metaphor-rich paintings rendered in powerful jabs and swirls of densely applied acrylics." ~ Elizabeth Bush, The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, March 2002

"Together the words and pictures reveal not victims, but the strong community and culture that helped the Navajos survive atrocity and return home.” ~ Hazel Rochman, Booklist, May 1, 2002

"Historical background that led to this event is carefully detailed, recounting the harsh treatment and broken treaties. With restraint and a straightforward style, Bruchac tells of the 470-mile march through inclement weather with scant food, and Indians "nearly naked...and dying from dysentery."" ~ Beverley Fahey, Children's Literature

Other Books Written by Joseph Bruchac

Raccoon's Last Race:  A Traditional Abenaki Story, illustrated by James Bruchac
The Boy Who Lived with Bears:  And Other Iroquois Stories, illustrated by Murv
     Jacob
The First Strawberries:  A Cherokee Story, illustrated by Anna Vojitech

Visit his website for more information:  http://josephbruchac.com/


Book Connections

A Rainbow at Night:  The World in Words and Pictures by Navajo Children by
     Bruce Hucko
The Unbreakable Code by Sara Hoagland Hunter and illustrated by Julia Miner

Sing Down the Moon by Scott O'Dell


Connection Activities

 

• Watch clips about the Navajo Long Walk provided by PBS.org:  http://www.pbs.org/pov/sunkissed/video-the-long-walk-navajo.php#.VE2bmbstDmI. 
• Gain a greater appreciation for the contributions the Navajo people have made to society by listening to interviews with actual Navajo Code Talkers or by watching a video describing the history of the Navajo Code Talkers in WWII:  http://navajocodetalkers.org/.