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Fort Sumner in NewMexico. He got help from Kit Carson, a famous fron- tiersman. Carson used a “scorched earth” approach, violently ousting the Navajo from their land. He burned their homes, belongings, and crops. He killed some Navajo and took others as prisoners. The message was clear: Leave or die. Over the next three years, about 10,000 Navajo were forced to walk the 300 miles (482 km) to Bosque Redondo. “The Long Walk” was brutal, and many Navajo died during the journey. Those who did survive met with even more hardship. The reservation was only big enough for about half the number of people crowded onto it. Water and food were scarce. Eventually, the Navajo protested. They stopped planting crops and began to escape from the reservation.

People living on the East Coast of the US during the late 1800s aften saw drawings such as this one, showing Navajos in traditional dress.

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