Bosque Redondo Memorial at Fort Sumner Historic Site
Located at Fort Sumner Historic Site in the scenic Pecos River valley, the Bosque Redondo Memorial chronicles a dark history: the forced relocation of an estimated 9,500 Diné (Navajo) and 500 N’de (Mescalero Apache) from their traditional tribal homelands to the Bosque Redondo Indian Reservation. Fort Sumner, a U.S. Army internment camp, stood at the reservation’s center.
Between 1863 and 1868, thousands died during the 400-mile march known as The Long Walk and from inhumane conditions at the camp. More than 450 of the Mescalero Apaches escaped in 1865, but the Navajo remained for another three years. Nearly one-third died before the U.S. government intervened and allowed them to return home.
Since its opening in 2005, the Bosque Redondo Memorial has strived to be a peaceful place of memory, understanding and reflection for descendants of those who endured the relocation and for visitors who wish to learn more about this painful chapter in American history. The ultimate goal for Bosque Redondo Memorial is to serve as a place for dialogue, where visitors draw connections between the site’s history and contemporary global issues of ethnic cleansing, genocide and reconciliation.
The State of New Mexico provides funding to maintain and operate the site and its memorial to the Apache and Navajo peoples. Private contributions through the Museum of New Mexico Foundation are necessary to ensure the site’s opportunities for community engagement through a permanent exhibition and other visitor highlights.
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