Outdoor art exhibition, “Glimpses from the Long Walk,” by Shonto Begay at Bosque Redondo Memorial. Courtesy/NMHS/DCA
NMDCA News:
FORT SUMNER — Bosque Redondo Memorial at Fort Sumner Historic Site presents the annual commemoration of the Treaty of 1868 between the US Government and the sovereign Navajo Nation from 1–4 p.m., Saturday, June 14, 2025. The public is invited to participate in honoring the enduring strength of the Diné (Navajo) people at this event.
“The Treaty of 1868 is not just Navajo Nation’s treaty; it is America’s treaty,” said site manager Aaron Roth. “It is a partnership of peace that has been worth commemorating for the last 156 years.”
Shawn Price (Diné) and the Dineh Tah’ Dancers will perform traditional dances. Throughout their performances, Price will share stories and the historical significance of the treaty and the influential role of General Sherman and Colonel Samuel F. Tappan as Peace Commissioners at the Bosque Redondo internment camp. Price will also give a presentation about Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the Native New Deal.
The site is partnering with the Sherman House Museum/Fairfield County Heritage Association in Lancaster, Ohio, who have donated 100 yards of muslin cloth to be given to visitors as a symbolic gift relating to Article XII of the Treaty, which granted discretionary funds as part of the agreement for the purchase of sheep, as well as cloth for clothing and ceremonial purposes.
The site is also excited to debut a new outdoor art exhibition, “Glimpses from the Long Walk,” by Shonto Begay that features 19 life-size cutouts of people that will be placed around the courtyard entryway of the site. The installation is based on Begay’s mural inside the Memorial’s permanent exhibit, “The Long Walk,” which depicts the Diné on the Long Walk to the Bosque Redondo Indian Reservation in the 1860s. The artwork shows people mid-motion, young and old, clothed and underdressed. Some faces are clear with the emotions of pain, despair, or determination, while others are faceless or voiceless, like the many whose stories and knowledge were lost during this dark chapter in American history.
“We hope through this circular art installation, that visitors walking from the parking lot to the Memorial will be reminded of the hardships experienced by the Diné walking to the reservation in 1863, and also of the resilience of the people when they walked back home in 1868,” Roth said.
In addition to the afternoon activities, several Diné families will receive sheep from the Friends of Bosque Redondo Memorial’s flock of Navajo Churro Sheep in recognition of the treaty. This is an important partnership project between the Friends group, the Historic Site, and the Diné that offers an opportunity to support wool and weaving traditions for Diné families.
About Bosque Redondo Memorial at Fort Sumner Historic Site
The Bosque Redondo Memorial at Fort Sumner Historic Site delivers visitors into the heart of history and tragedy. In 1863, some 10,000 Navajos were forced to make the “Long Walk,” 450 miles across New Mexico to the Bosque Redondo Indian Reservation, or H’weeldi, meaning place of suffering. Hundreds of Ndé were also interned there. Bosque Redondo Memorial was created in 2005 and revitalized in 2021 with strong support from the Diné and Ndé and designed by Diné architect David Sloan in the shape of a hogan and tepee. The permanent interpretive exhibition features evolving interactives, an interpretive trail, and programs for visitors. Admission is $7 per adult and free to children 16 years and younger, Diné, Ndé, & Tribal Affiliations, NM disabled veterans, NM foster families, Friends of Bosque Redondo Memorial members, and Museum of New Mexico Foundation members. Learn more at https://nmhistoricsites.org/bosque-redondo.
