Chinle which means “Water Outlet” refers to the mouth of the Canyon de Chelly.
It originally was an agricultural area of 771 acres of chili, corn, squash, peaches, apple trees and melons irrigated by homemade canals and dams.
On the small knoll some 100 yards north of the Thunderbird Ranch, the United States command held a council with the Navajo Head Chief Mariano Martinez, Second Chief Chapitone, and Third Chief Zarcillas Largo. They were in actuality, Chief and local Headmen of the area. After the council, these local chiefs signed a United States Treaty with the Navajos on September 9, 1849, better known as the “Navajo Treaty of 1849”.
In the winter of 1864, Colonel Christopher Carson and several other military officers accepted the surrender of the de Chelly Navajos. The tribe of 50 Navajos under Hastiin Cholginih (the Humpback), and the Navajo woman Chief (Khinibaiih), surrendered at the spot where Colonel Washington held council with the Navajo Chief Mariano Martinez and Headmen in 1849. The “Long Walk” as it was called was made by an estimated 10,000 Navajos. The journey was a very grueling 350 mile stretch to Ft. Sumner at Bosque Redondo, New Mexico, to be held as captives of the United States government for 4 years until the signing of the “Navajo Treaty of 1868”. To compare their “Long Walk”, it was more severe than the World War II “Bataan Death March” where the captured American soldiers walked 63 miles and than traveled by train from Bataan to Camp O’Donnell.
Under the guidance of Father Leopold Osterman the first mission was established in 1904. While Navajo Agent Ruben Perry was attempting to force Navajo children into school at Ft. Defiance he was overpowered and held captive by Doyalthi’ih (Silent One) and his followers for two days. Later the soldiers captured the rebels and were sent for a year to Alcatraz Prison in San Francisco Bay and then later moved to Ft. Huachuca, Arizona. |
