STATUS REPORT
Navajo Agency Fort Sumner N.M.
Lieut. General VT. T. Sherman
In pursuance to your request I have tine honor to submit a report as to the condition of the Navajo Indians at the Bosque Redondo reservation under my charge and express my views in relation to their removal ; their requirements and their present reservation.
On the 1st day of Nov, l867, the Commanding Officer at Fort Sumner N.M. Maj. C, J. Whiting 3rd U. S. Cavalry transferred to my charge 711l Navajo Indians, Viz.
2157 under 12 years of age
During the month of November 193 who were absent of the day of the count came in making total number subsisted 7304. The cost of subsisting said Indians from the 1st of November l867 to the 23rd day of May 1868 inclusive as per report herewith transmitted of Wm. Rosenthall Commissary for Navajos is Two Hundred and Eighty-Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty Dollars (280,830 07/100).
The number of acres of land cultivated at the Bosque Redondo reservation in the years l865 & 1866 was about 3800 acres, 2800 of which was cultivated as a government farm & the balance l000 acres was cultivated and worked in patches exclusively by the Indians.
The amount of produce raised on the Government farm during said years according to the books of the Indian Commissary Department at Fort Sumner N.M. is as follows:
1865 1866 Corn 423682 pounds Corn 201420 Pounds Wheat 34113 " Beans 2942 " Pumpkins 30403 " Pumpkins 29152 " Beans 3515 "
In the year l867 this crop proved a total failure.
The number of animals owned by the Navajos as counted by myself June 30th 1867 was as follows:
Horses 550
I estimate that since June 30th 1867 the Navajos have captured from the Comanche Indians about 1000 horses making total number of horses in the possession of Navajos about 1500.
The number of families on the reservation is about 1850. Since I have been Agent (nearly three years) I have found that a majority of them living on the reservation are peaceable and well disposed. Some thieving ones have occasionally committed depredations by stealing stock from citizens. In many cases however the stock has been recovered and delivered to owners.
Their ideas upon agriculture are few and simple but in their way they manage to raise very fair crops.
They are acquainted with the principles of irrigation and are quite skillful in making acequias, adobes, blankets, bridles, bits and baskets and many other articles.
Until this year they have always worked well on the government farm in plowing, hoeing corn, digging acequias, etc. Large numbers of them have been employed by the Military Dept., sutlers and ranchmen in making and laying adobes and other work. They usually get from 30 to 50 cents per day for their labor and also rations.
Nearly every family living in the Reservation have attempted to cultivate patches of their own, planting corn, pumpkins, melons, etc, but have never succeeded in raising very good crops.
The Indians attribute their failure to the unproductiveness of the soil, I am of the opinion that about half of the land cultivated at the Bosque Redondo is productive with proper management and irrigation; the other half I consider unproductive in consequence of containing a large amount of alkaline matter.
The most serious objection to the Bosque Redondo reservation is the scarcity of timber & fuel. Timber for building purposes is hauled a distance of about 100 miles from Fort Sumner and wood for the use of the Garrison is hauled from 25 to 35 mites.
Mesquite roots is the principal wood used by the Indians which they dig and carry on their backs from 6 to 12 mites and it is not very abundant at that distance, There was much suffering among the Indians last winter for want of fuel.
For nearly two years the Navajos have been very much dissatisfied with their reservation at the Bosque Redondo, and they state that their discontent is in consequence of frequent raids being made upon them by Comanche and other Indians. The scarcity of fuel, unproductiveness of the soil, bad water and unhealthiness. During the past year they have been constantly begging me to endeavor to have them removed to their old country where they say the soil is more productive, where there is an abundance of timber, where mescal, mesquite, beans, wild potatoes & fruits are found in abundance and where they would be far removed from their old enemies The Comanches, Kiowa and other Indians.
I am satisfied that the Navajos will never be contented to remain on this or any other reservation except one located west of the Rio Grande and I am also of the opinion that if they are not permitted to return to their old country that many will stealthily return and in doing so commit depredations upon the people of N.M. and thus keep up a state of insecurity.
I therefore believe that it would be better for the Indians and the people of N.M. and a saving to the Government & in the end more likely to succeed in civilizing and making them self-sustaining to locate them upon a good reservation west of the Rio Grande. With regard to the precise location proper for these Indians, I am not prepared to give an opinion but would respectfully suggest the appointment of a joint commission for that purpose to examine carefully the country and make the selection so as to include lands suitable with water, wood and other resources to insure a permanent reservation.
Not being acquainted with Southern N.M. and northern Arizona in the vicinity of Canyon de Chelly & Tuni Cha mountains, I am not prepared to say whether a suitable reservation can be selected in that portion of the Country or not, but I am acquainted with a portion of the valley of the Rio San Juan and its northern tributaries and am satisfied that a good reservation can be selected in that locality with good lands and abundant timber, water and other resources.
In my judgement a reservation should be selected for these people where there is a sufficient arable land and other resources to enable them to settle as near each other as possible in order that their agent can keep an eye upon them and their acts and provide for their necessities. If they are scattered over a large tract of country it would be almost impossible to punish the thieves. In my judgement a military post and agency should be established near their settlement. It must be bourne in mind that about one third of the Navajos are a lazy, indolent & thieving people who will have to be watched constantly and if they commit depredations, punished.
Wherever these people are located it will be necessary for the Government to subsist them until they can plant and gather their crops, otherwise they will depredate upon the flocks of the Inhabitants of the Rio Grande and other localities. It cannot be expected that 7000 Indians who have been comparatively nothing and have been fed by the Government for four years and who have subsisted partly by agriculture for several centuries can live without extreme suffering, when their only subsistence will be game and the wild fruit of the country.
It is now so late in the season that they will not be able to reach their country in time to plant this year. Therefore in my judgement the Government ought to feed them until they can gather their crops next year, say until Sept. 1869.
With this assistance and an annual appropriation of 100,000 dollars for a few years properly managed they will be able in my opinion to maintain themselves.
The Navajos is no doubt the best material in the country for rapid progress in agriculture as history proves that for several centuries they have been engaged in planting and they are far in advance of other tribes in manufacturing blankets, bridles, saddles and other articles, yet they are Savages and extremely superstitious.
The Utah Indians [Utes -- DMR] have been enemies of the Navajos for many years. It is very important that a treaty of peace be made between these tribes, otherwise the Utah Indians will constantly be making raids upon the settlements of the Navajos, stealing their children and stock.
At a Council I recently held with the head men of the Navajo tribe they stated they are willing and anxious to make peace with them. I would suggest that some of the principal men of the Navajos and Utahs meet at Santa Fe or some other point and arrange a treaty of peace at an early date, I would recommend that the Navajos be furnished at least with 40,000 head of sheep and goats. I would also recommend that one physician, one blacksmith and one carpenter be employed at an early day and shops erected and provided with new tools, timbers, etc. A11 of which is respectfully submitted.
Very Respectfully
May 30th, 1868
and Col. S. F. Tappan
Peace Commissioners
2693 Women
2060 Men
201 Age and Sex Unknown
Mules 21
Sheep 940
Goats 1025
Your Obdt. Servant
(signed) Theo. H. Dodd
U.S. Indian Agent for Navajo Inds.