Bosque Redondo Memorial

The center of a million-acre reservation known as the Bosque Redondo, this site represents a tragic period in American history. As Americans settled in the territory of New Mexico, they met fierce resistance from the Navajo and Mescalero Apache people who fought to maintain control of their traditional lands and way of life. In an effort to subjugate them, the U.S. Army made war on the Indians. Those who survived were starved into submission and forced to march a desperate journey into captivity. Known by the Navajos as the "Long Walk," in some cases a distance of more than 450 miles mostly on foot to the reservation in east central New Mexico. It was an arduous journey that took almost two months to complete during the harsh winter climate. From 1863-1868, more than 9,000 Navajo and Mescalero Apache people were held captive at Fort Sumner and the surrounding Bosque Redondo Indian Reservation. Most of the 400 Mescalero Apaches eluded their military guards and abandoned the reservation in 1865. Visit the Bosque Redondo Memorial and experience the history of this site. The visitor center displays and interpretive trail provide insight into the tragic history of the Bosque Redondo Indian Reservation. In 2005 a museum designed to look like a tepee and a hogan opened, with plans for a second phase of the museum.