Navajo Long Walk (5 page)

The bone-weary family reached their camp. Kee held a little of the flour on his palm for Gray Dog. The dog turned his head away. “It must be poison, Grandmother. Gray Dog has too much sense to eat it. Shall I dump it out?”

“No indeed, child. No food should ever be wasted. Tomorrow I will find a way to fix it. Tonight I am too tired to think.” Wise One gave each of them a little food from the sacks she brought from their home. Spreading the sheepskins behind a blanket hung from the juniper tree, the three lay down close together with the rest of their blankets over them.

The next morning, Kee saw a Navajo digging with a shovel he had obtained at the fort. Kee had never seen one before, having always used a pointed stick to dig around the corn. He borrowed the shovel and marveled at how much dirt it would hold. He and Wise One dug a hole in the hard bank of the wash behind the juniper tree. It took a long time, but they dug far enough to get their sheepskins inside. By stretching a blanket over the opening, they had a shelter from winter storms.

Each day saw new arrivals at the fort. Kee went among them, asking each family about his father. None had seen him or heard anything about him.

As the days began to lengthen, the cold grew less severe. With Gray Dog, Kee helped to herd sheep for the Navajos who were lucky enough to bring some to the fort. Being used to vast space with miles between hogans, they disliked the cramped conditions around the fort. They were happier when they could be away with the sheep.

One night Kee was awakened in the dugout by something touching his face. Thinking it was Gray Dog, he said, “Lie down and go to sleep or go outside.”

He heard a chuckle, then a quiet voice said, “I am not Gray Dog. I am your mother, Gentle Woman.”

Kee sat up quickly. He had to be dreaming. Yet someone's arms were tenderly holding him. He couldn't see his mother sitting beside him but he knew it was no dream. The feeling of her gentle arms was real. He buried his face on her shoulder and hugged her.

Though she scarcely remembered her mother, Hasba cried with happiness. Crawling to her mother's lap, she patted her face and stroked her hair.

Wise One pulled back the blanket over the opening to let in a little moonlight. She did not seem surprised at seeing Gentle Woman. “You are very thin. Are you hungry now?” she asked.

“I am too excited and happy to feel hunger now. Tell me all about Strong Man.”

Wise One told her that Strong Man left the cave in the canyon and they had not seen or heard about him since. “My son is a proud man. He will not come unless he is captured.”

Kee could see tears shining on his mother's face. He asked, “How did you find us, Mother? How did you escape your enemies?”

Gentle Woman said, “Let us all lie down together under the blankets and I will tell you what has happened to me since I was taken away from you.”

Hasba cuddled into her mother's arms as she began her story. “We can be glad, Kee, that you had a sore foot and could not go herding that day. You might have been captured with me and sold into slavery. Six Ute horsemen surrounded me.”

Kee spoke up, “When it began to grow dark that night, Father went looking for you. At first he could not believe it was raiders because even though the sheep were scattered, none had been stolen.”

“These Utes were in too big a hurry to bother with sheep. They had plans to meet Mexican slave traders on the mesa above the Hopi villages.”

“Were the Utes mean to you?” Wise One asked.

“I knew it was no use to struggle. I was tied on a horse so I could lean forward and grasp its mane. They rode fast and long, stopping only to let the horses rest and to steal one more woman herder and her daughter. Sun-bearer was almost ready to leave the sky the next day when we reached the mesa. Mexican slave traders were already camped there. The smell of mutton cooking made us ravenous, we were so hungry. We were fed and allowed to rest while the Utes and Mexicans haggled over how much we were worth. I could tell the Utes were anxious to get away. After all, they were in Hopi country. There was also the chance Navajos would follow and get back their women.”

Wise One told her, “Many raids were made to find you. Always Strong Man came home sad.”

“I was not with the Mexicans long. As soon as payments were made the Utes took off on fresh horses. That night the Mexicans put us all under a large piece of canvas with guards resting outside on the edges.

“The territory we were in was familiar to me. As you know my mother was part Hopi. When I was a child we lived and herded our sheep not far from the Hopi village of Oraibi. My mother even taught me a little of their language. I thought if I could only escape, perhaps the Hopis would help me get back to you. Waiting until I was sure everyone was asleep, even the guards, I worked my way carefully out from under the canvas.”

Hasba hugged her mother tightly. “How scared you must have been.”

“I was so afraid I think I stopped breathing. I crawled on my stomach at first, then when I thought they could
no longer hear me, I ran. I felt the safest thing to do was climb higher on the mesa and find a place to hide. I found a thick stand of juniper trees. Among the trees grew sagebrush and yucca. I tunneled under a clump of brush, pulling it around me so I could not be seen. I hardly noticed how badly I was getting scratched I was so frightened and so anxious to be hidden.”

“Did the Mexicans come looking for you?” Kee asked.

“I am not sure but I think so. I strained to hear and thought I heard horses' hoofs and men's voices in the distance. Later, I could tell by the warmth under the brush that sun-bearer was high in the sky. I knew the Mexicans would have left for their own safety and I fell into a heavy sleep. It was dark when I woke up. I was hungry and thirsty. I broke off some pieces of yucca blossom stems to chew. Afterward I felt better and started to walk. I wanted to reach Oraibi because that had been my mother's village.

“Gray streaks of light told me sun-bearer was on his way back when I realized I was on the mesa where the village stood. Then I was afraid the Hopis would not be friendly. I sat down against a large rock and tried to remember the Hopi words my mother taught me.

“Before long a girl came out of the village carrying a forked stick. She was on her way to work in a cornfield below the mesa. I called a greeting to her. She took me to her father who was chief of the village. I made him understand that I was now his prisoner. ‘Many times,' he said, ‘Navajos have taken Hopi women and children for slaves. Now that you are here you will stay and work for us. If you do not try to run away we will be good to you. If you try to run away we will kill you'.”

Wise One sat up. “For many moons I have been saying this stealing of animals and people from other tribes and
from white people must come to an end. There can be no happiness until people learn to live in peace with one another.”

“Little Mother, while I was with the Hopis I thought often of the many times you have said that. Now I think the same.”

Wise One yawned. Gentle Woman said, “I am tired, too. Let us sleep. Tomorrow I will tell you the rest of my story.”

Kee lay under his sheepskin, thinking. “How weak women are. They are willing to make peace even with the soldiers! There is no peace in my heart. Father did not give in. He must be out there somewhere enduring the hardships, defying the soldiers. I am only a boy. But someday I will be big enough and strong enough to join him. Together we will prove that we can still raid the tribes that had raided us. We will steal whole herds of horses and sheep from them. In my heart I will never give in.”

On following days, Gentle Woman told her family about life among the Hopi Indians. Though she was a gifted weaver she did not weave while she lived with them. Among the Hopi, the men were the weavers. Mostly she worked in the fields. She was treated as one of the tribe and could have been happy if only her family had been there.

Gentle Woman said, “News came to the village that white soldiers were hunting Navajos and wanted Utes and Hopis to lead them to Navajo hiding places. When I learned the Navajos were surrendering at Fort Defiance to be taken to Fort Sumner, a long way to the east, I knew I must escape or I might never see my family again.

“I hid a small buckskin bag under a rock in a field. For many days I put bits of dried meat, corn and dried
berries in it. One dark night I left the village. Hiding by day, walking by night, I ate whatever shoots and berries I could find to make the food in the sack last. After many nights I found the fort. A soldier frightened me half to death with his gun.”

“They will not shoot any Navajos,” Kee said. “Kit Carson made that promise when we were at the camp near the canyon.”

“Well, I did not know that,” Gentle Woman replied. “I was afraid because I could not make the soldier understand I was looking for you. Then Long Earrings came where the soldier was guarding. He told me where I could find you.”

One day Long Earrings came to talk to Kee. “Is your dog good at herding sheep?”

Kee looked proudly at his dog, and declared. “Gray Dog is the best herd dog in all Navajoland.”

Long Earrings grinned. “I am sure you speak the truth. We will soon be starting on the long journey to Fort Sumner. It will be too far and too hard a trip for Wise One to walk. If you and your dog will help herd the army sheep on the journey, I can ask for a place for Wise One to ride in one of the wagons.”

Kee bristled. “I am Navajo. I will not herd the sheep the soldiers have stolen from the Navajos! Grandmother can ride on Small Burro. I have promised Eagle Feather I will help him. A Navajo does not break a promise.”

“These are difficult times,” Long Earrings said. “We must learn to compromise. Eagle Feather has only a few sheep. The army has many.”

“But he has no dog to keep them together. Besides, he is my friend.”

Long Earrings shrugged as he walked away, saying. “But if we cooperate, the army's sheep will feed us along the way.”

Covered wagons, each with a team of oxen were drawn up near the fort. Wagons bulged with sacks of flour, sacks of beans, sides of bacon, casks of water. They were
so loaded down that only a few old people could ride. Some lucky Navajos still had horses to ride. Those having a few sheep and goats chose to walk with their grazing herd. Most of the Diné were on foot.

Early on March 6, 1864, the first caravan climbed slowly out of the valley at Fort Defiance to follow roads made by army ox carts. Thirty wagons piled with rations were followed by 2,400 Navajos, 400 horses, and 3,000 sheep.

Before starting the trek Gentle Woman said, “Our journey will be long. Let us try always to stay close together. Having each other is the most important thing in our lives. With so many people and animals it would be easy to lose one another.”

Small Burro complained at being loaded again. Wise One walked beside him to gently soothe his hurt feelings. There was no room on him for her to ride.