Fort Defiance, Arizona – Watching the Navajo
Fort Defiance, Arizona, a name etched in the annals of the American West, stands as a potent symbol of the complex and often turbulent relationship between the United States government and the Navajo Nation. Established in the autumn of 1851, under the command of Colonel Edwin V. Sumner, this military outpost was strategically positioned within the newly acquired Mexican Cession of 1848, marking it as the first such installation in what would become the Arizona Territory. The very genesis of Fort Defiance was rooted in a policy of control, designed to subdue the independent spirit of the Navajo people following the breakdown of several treaties.
The physical manifestation of this control was a fort constructed from sod and logs, planted squarely on land of immense significance to the Navajo. This land, vital for grazing their horses and sheep, represented sustenance and a way of life. The U.S. Army’s subsequent restrictions on Navajo livestock further exacerbated tensions, igniting immediate resentment and laying the foundation for future conflict. The location of Fort Defiance, Arizona, was not merely a strategic choice; it was a deliberate assertion of dominance.
Initially, an uneasy truce prevailed. The Navajo, despite their displeasure, attempted to coexist with the occupying forces. Horse racing, a deeply ingrained tradition within their culture, became a shared pastime, with the Navajo engaging in friendly competition against the soldiers stationed at Fort Defiance, Arizona. This period of relative peace, however, proved to be ephemeral.
The year 1856 marked a turning point, a spark that ignited simmering animosity. During one of these seemingly innocuous horse races, a U.S. soldier intentionally tripped a Navajo horse. Accusations of cheating flew, and the already strained relations fractured. As the soldiers retreated within the walls of Fort Defiance, Arizona, they opened fire, resulting in the deaths of approximately 30 Navajo. This incident served as a catalyst, unleashing a wave of intermittent attacks and skirmishes that would plague the region for the next seven years.
The escalating tensions culminated in a major assault on April 30, 1860. Under the combined leadership of the esteemed war chiefs Manuelito and Barboncito, more than 1,000 Navajo warriors launched a coordinated attack on Fort Defiance, Arizona. The sheer force of the offensive nearly overwhelmed the garrison, comprised of soldiers from the First U.S. Infantry under the command of Captain O.L. Shepherd. Despite facing overwhelming odds, the soldiers managed to repel the attack, but not without significant losses. One soldier was killed, and three others were wounded. The Navajo suffered a greater toll, with approximately 20 warriors killed in the assault.
The onset of the Civil War in 1861 brought about a temporary shift in military priorities. Fort Defiance, Arizona, was abandoned in favor of Fort Fauntleroy, which was later renamed Fort Wingate. However, the departure of the U.S. Army did not quell the unrest. Navajo raids on settlements continued, prompting Brigadier General James H. Carleton to task Kit Carson with resolving the "Navajo problem." Carleton’s solution was the forced removal of the Navajo from their ancestral lands and their relocation to the Bosque Redondo reservation near Fort Sumner, New Mexico.
Kit Carson, a man of the West known for his complex relationship with Native American tribes, harbored deep reservations about Carleton’s brutal tactics. He tendered his resignation in February 1863, but Carleton refused to accept it, instead ordering Carson to wage war on the Navajo, systematically destroying their fields, orchards, homes, and livestock. During this period of relentless warfare, Carson and his men reoccupied Fort Defiance, Arizona, which tragically served as a temporary holding place, a "concentration camp," for captured Navajo people.
The relentless campaign of destruction and forced displacement ultimately broke the Navajo resistance. In the spring of 1864, approximately 8,000 Navajo men, women, and children were forced to embark on the infamous "Long Walk," a grueling 300-mile trek to the Bosque Redondo. The conditions during this forced march were deplorable, and it is estimated that as many as 300 people perished along the way. The suffering did not end upon arrival at Bosque Redondo. The next four years were marked by hardship, disease, and death within the confines of the reservation.
While the Navajo endured unimaginable suffering at Bosque Redondo, Fort Defiance, Arizona, was once again abandoned. The few remaining Navajo who had managed to evade capture, embittered by the actions of the U.S. government, destroyed much of the fort in a final act of defiance.
In 1868, the U.S. government finally acknowledged the failure of the Bosque Redondo experiment. The Navajo were granted permission to return to a portion of their ancestral homelands, albeit a significantly reduced territory. Fort Defiance, Arizona, was chosen as the site for the Navajo Indian Agency, marking a transition from military control to administrative oversight. The dilapidated buildings were repaired, and the agency began its operations.
The early years of the agency were characterized by slow and inconsistent services. The first school, established in 1870 in an abandoned adobe building, proved to be short-lived. A mission established the following year also failed to gain traction. Medical services did not begin until 1880, and an Indian Boarding School was established in 1883, reflecting the government’s assimilationist policies.
The agency’s jurisdiction initially extended beyond the Navajo, also "servicing" the Hopi people until 1899, when a separate agency was established for them. Over the subsequent decade, four new agencies were created to manage the vast expanse of Navajo country. In 1936, these agencies were consolidated at Window Rock, Arizona, which later became the capital of the Navajo Nation.
Today, the town of Fort Defiance has grown around the site of the old fort, supporting a population of approximately 4,000 people. A Navajo tribal school and a hospital now occupy the land where soldiers and Navajo warriors once clashed. Fort Defiance is located at the mouth of Canyon Bonito in Apache County, approximately seven miles north of Window Rock, Arizona. The legacy of Fort Defiance, Arizona, serves as a poignant reminder of the complex and often painful history between the United States and the Navajo Nation. It is a place where conflict and control once reigned, now transformed into a center for education and healing, a testament to the resilience and enduring spirit of the Navajo people.