The "Long Walk" consisted of a series of over 50 forced marches between August 1864 and the end of 1866 involving the forced relocation of nearly 9000 people
The Navajos were marched 350 miles from Arizona to the Bosque Redondo reservation in eastern New Mexico
Men, women and children were forced to march up to 13 miles a day, at gunpoint
The people had no idea how long the journey would take
The journey took on average 18 days
The Navajo's were not prepared for such a long journey. Their clothes and blankets turned to rags and their moccasins fell apart
The conditions on the "Long Walk" were appalling. There was not enough food. Sometimes that had to walk in freezing weather in the snow. Many suffered from sickness and disease
They had to cross the waters of the Rio Grande - many were killed in the attempt
People who fell on the march were either shot or left to die. Old people and young children suffered the most
Some of the larger groups of Navajos on the march stretched for 10 miles
Along the way, approximately 200 Navajos died of starvation and exposure to the elements
1818: Manuelito was born c1818 in southeastern Utah, as a child he was known as Holy Boy
1835: The Battle of Washington Pass. Seventeen year old Manuelito took part in the conflict led by Chief Narbona that defeated a large raiding force led by Captain Blas de Hinojos at what today is called Narbona Pass.
1836: Manuelito married the daughter of Chief Narbona
1846: On November 22, 1846 Alexander Doniphan met with Navajo leaders to pledge a firm and lasting peace in the Lava Springs Treaty
1849: Manuelito's father-in-law, Chief Narbona, was murdered by soldiers on an exploring expedition into Navajo country
1851: The US Army built Fort Defiance at the mouth of Bonita Canyon
1851: Chief Manuelito strongly opposed the establishment of Fort Defiance conflicts arose over the use of tribal pasturelands for grazing horses and conflicts started to erupt
1855: Manuelito succeeded Sarcillos Largos as principal chief of the Navajo and initially tried to avoid conflict with the US military. On July 18, 1855 he signed the Meriwether Treaty.
1860: The peace policy of Manuelito was abandoned when US soldiers slaughtered many Navajo horses
1860: On April 10, 1860 Chief Manuelito, together with Chief Barboncito, led nearly 1000 Navajo warriors in an unsuccessful attempt to capture the horse herd at Fort Defiance
1860 - 1866: A series of US retaliatory campaigns were waged against the Navajos led by General James Carleton
1861: General James Carleton ordered a scorched-earth campaign against the Navajo which led to the destruction of livestock, beanfields, and orchards
1862: On October 31, 1862, Congress authorized the construction of Fort Sumner to offer protection to settlers in the Pecos River valley from the Mescalero Apache, Kiowa, and Comanche Native Indians. The creation of the Bosque Redondo reservation was also authorized located in Arizona to eastern New Mexico
1862: The Bosque Redondo reservation was a 40-square-mile barren area where over 9,000 Navajo and Mescalero Apaches would be forced to live
1863: Chief Manuelito and Chief Barboncito met with General James Carleton to discuss peace. General Carleton insisted that the Navajos must surrender and move to the Bosque Redondo reservation that was located more than three hundred miles from their homeland
1863: General James Carleton enlisted famous Native Indian Fighter Colonel Christopher "Kit" Carson to be responsible for rounding up the Navajo tribe and organizing what would become known as the "Long Walk" to the Bosque Redondo reservation
1864: In January 1864 "Kit" Carson launched a full-scale scorched earth assault on the Navajo population destroying everything in his path. Hogans were burned to the ground, livestock were killed and irrigated fields destroyed
1864: August 1864 was the start of the 'Long Walk' period, but Manuelito and his group of Navajos were not captured at this time
1866: On September 1, 1866, Chief Manuelito surrendered his starving people at Fort Wingate
1866: On November 7, 1866 Chief Barboncito was the last of the Navajo leaders to surrender
1866: The last of the Navajos endure the "Long Walk" to the reservation
1867: Comanches and then Utes raid Navajos at Bosque Redondo. In September 1867 Chief Manuelito mounts retaliatory raids on the Ute tribe and then returns to the reservation
1868: On June 1, 1868 Chief Manuelito and other Navajo chiefs signed the Treaty of Bosque Redondo that gave the Navajo back their freedom and part of their homeland
1872: Manuelito was appointed as head of the new Navajo police force
1876: Manuelito meets with President Grant regarding the encroachment of Navajo land
1879: Crops failed and Navajos mount raids to obtain food
1880: Manuelito meets with President Hayes in Santa Fe who suggests that he is made "Chief of Scouts" to control whiskey traffic in eastern part of the reservation
1882: Navajos and white settlers continue to argue over land
1892: Manuelito is summoned to Fort Wingate to discuss renegade Navajos who were raiding stock from settlers and other tribes
1893: Chief Manuelito died from pneumonia on the Navajo Reservation in New Mexico Territory
