People have inhabited Canyon de Chelly for nearly 5000 years. The original nomadic Archaic people eventually evolved into farmers with more substantial dwellings. By circa 750 to 1300 the area was home to the ancient Pueblo people known as the Anasazi and distinguished by their distinctive stone compounds. In the 1200’s a prolonged drought lead to the abandonment of this rock canyon. After sporadic occupation by the Hopi, the canyons became a confluence of Hopi, Navajo and Spanish influence by the 1500’s. These interactions weren’t all peaceful and by the late 1700’s there was lengthy warfare among Spanish colonists, the Navajo and other regional tribes. It was during this time that the battle at Massacre Cave occurred.
After the United States defeated Mexico in 1846, the US Army sought control over these lands from the Navajo. This conflict resulted in a campaign to forcibly remove the Navajo from their homeland in 1864. Led by Colonel Kit Carson, homes and farms were burnt to the ground while over 8,000 Navajos were forced to walk 300 miles to Fort Sumner, New Mexico.
Many perished during this Long Walk, and many more died during their over-crowded, under-resourced internment at Bosque Redondo. After 4 years this first reservation experiment proved unsuccessful and the Navajo were permitted to return to their homelands. This dark period in Navajo history left deep scars within their community.
