Preceden

Navajo History Timeline

(c. 1500s–Present)

Navajo History, or Diné history, traces the development of the Diné people, their relationships with neighboring nations and colonial powers, forced removal, treaty-making, cultural resilience, and continuing sovereignty in the American Southwest. Less

Go to: Event List | Key Facts | Directory

Treaty and territory

United States gains Navajoland

1848

After the Mexican–American War ended, the United States gained ownership of what is today Navajoland.

Navajo military campaigns and displacement

1860 - 1864

During the mid-19th century, especially in the 1860s, U.S. Army campaigns using a scorched-earth policy forced most Navajo people to abandon their homes.

The Long Walk begins

1864

The main body of Navajo, numbering about 8,000 adults and children, was marched roughly 300 miles to imprisonment at Bosque Redondo.

Navajo people imprisoned at Bosque Redondo

1864 - 1868

Following the Long Walk, Navajo people were held at Bosque Redondo under the U.S. government's reservation and military system.

Navajo people leave Bosque Redondo

1868

The Treaty of 1868 established the Navajo Indian Reservation, and Navajo people left Bosque Redondo for the treaty territory.

Image source: Long Walk of the Navajo

Navajo people leave Bosque Redondo

Navajo reservation is established

1868

The reservation was first established within New Mexico Territory, initially covering approximately 3.3 million acres.

Image source: Navajo Nation

Navajo reservation is established

Navajo Treaty of 1868 is signed

Jun 1, 1868

At Bosque Redondo, Barboncito, Armijo, and other Navajo leaders signed the treaty that enabled the Navajo return and established the Navajo Indian Reservation.

Image source: Treaty of Bosque Redondo

Navajo Treaty of 1868 is signed

Navajo treaty is ratified

Jul 25, 1868

Congress ratified the Navajo Treaty with President Andrew Johnson, formalizing the agreement and the reservation's initial legal basis.

Navajo reservation expands westward

Oct 28, 1878

President Rutherford B. Hayes signed an executive order extending the reservation boundary 20 miles west, its first post-1868 expansion.

Dawes Act allotment shapes eastern border

1887 - 1934

Allotments of land to individual Navajo households under the Dawes Act helped shape the reservation's eastern border, and the program continued until 1934.

Image source: Dawes Act

Dawes Act allotment shapes eastern border

Aneth region is added to the reservation

1905

President Theodore Roosevelt issued an executive order adding the region around Aneth, Utah; Congress confirmed the addition in 1933.

Navajo reservation reaches current boundaries

1934

After repeated additions and allotments, the reservation reached its current boundaries in 1934 and retained its sovereignty.

Cobell trust-account lawsuit is filed

1996

Elouise Cobell filed a class-action lawsuit against the federal government on behalf of an estimated 250,000 to 500,000 Native American plaintiffs whose trust accounts lacked accurate accounting.

Image source: Cobell v. Salazar

Cobell trust-account lawsuit is filed

Navajo Nation supports trust-land buyback

2009 - 2017

A provision associated with Salazar in 2009 established a nearly $2 billion fund to buy fractionated interests and restore land to tribal reservations. Through March 2017, Navajo members received $104 million and 155,503 acres returned to the Nation.

Bennett Freeze agreement is completed

Jul 2009

The Bennett Freeze Agreement, completed in July 2009 under President Barack Obama, ended a long-running social and legal conflict involving the Navajo and Hopi Nations and neighboring communities.

Government and law

Navajo Court of Indian Offenses is established

1892

BIA Agent David L. Shipley established the Navajo Court of Indian Offenses and appointed its judges.

Navajo chapters are created

1927

U.S. federal agents initiated Chapters as local government entities modeled on counties or townships in the United States.

More than 100 Navajo chapters operate

1933

By 1933, more than 100 Chapters operated across the Navajo Nation.

Navajo government debates the Indian Reorganization Act

1934 - 1953

Under the Indian Reorganization Act, the federal government encouraged tribes to adopt constitutional-style governments. Navajo leaders expressed concerns about effects on livestock and mineral development.

Navajo judges are slated for election

1950

The Navajo Tribal Council decided in 1950 that judges should be elected.

Navajo judicial reorganization begins

1958 - 1959

The Navajo Tribal Council created a separate judicial branch on October 16, 1958. The Navajo Nation Government Judicial Branch became effective on April 1, 1959.

Navajo Nation is adopted as official name

Apr 15, 1969

The tribe changed its official name to the Navajo Nation, a designation displayed on its seal.

Navajo Supreme Judicial Council is established

1978 - 1985

In 1978, the Navajo Tribal Council established a Supreme Judicial Council, which functioned as a political body rather than a court. The Judicial Reform Act of 1985 eliminated it.

Navajo Nation creates a three-part government

1989 - 1990

The Title II Amendment of 1989 established the Navajo Nation government as a three-part system, and related conceptual additions expanded the new government on April 1, 1990.

Navajo Nation presidency takes current form

Dec 15, 1989 - Apr 1, 1990

The Navajo Nation Presidency in its current form was created on December 15, 1989, following federal guidance on establishing the judicial, legislative, and executive model. The government expanded on April 1, 1990.

Navajo Council rejects Diné designation

1994

The Tribal Council rejected a proposal to change the official designation from Navajo to Diné, a traditional name for the people.

Local Governance Act expands chapter roles

1998

The Navajo Tribal Council passed the Local Governance Act in 1998, expanding the political roles of the existing 110 Chapters.

Navajo constitutional convention movement begins

2006

A committee advocating for a Navajo Constitution began working toward a Navajo constitutional convention in 2006.

Navajo Nation rejects Diné Nation name

2017

The Navajo Nation Council rejected legislation to change the name to Diné Nation, citing possible confusion and frustration among Navajo citizens and non-Navajos.

Economy and society

Navajo blanket weaving gives way to rug-making

1900

By 1900, the weaving of traditional Navajo blankets had been replaced by rug-making as a major expression of Navajo textile production.

BIA addresses overgrazing damage

1933

During the Great Depression, the Bureau of Indian Affairs attempted to mitigate environmental damage caused by overgrazing on reservations.

Aneth Extension oil well is drilled

1956

The first well in the Aneth Extension was drilled in 1956.

Diné Development Corporation is created

1959

The Navajo Nation Council created the Diné Development Corporation in 1959; it was later privatized.

P&M McKinley Mine opens

1961 - 2010

Chevron's P&M McKinley Mine opened in 1961 as the first large-scale surface coal mine in New Mexico and closed in January 2010.

Navajo Mine opens near Fruitland

1963

The Navajo Mine opened near Fruitland, New Mexico, in 1963 and later employed about 350 people.

Navajo radio station KTNN is established

1985

KTNN was established as a Navajo Nation Enterprise in 1985. The commercial AM 660 station provides information and entertainment.

Image source: KTNN

Navajo radio station KTNN is established

Radiation Exposure Compensation Act is passed

1990

Congress passed the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act in 1990, addressing claims related to radiation exposure.

Navajo Nation begins wind-energy development

2008 - 2011

The Navajo Nation pursued wind projects, including a proposed 500-megawatt farm discussed in 2008 and an 85-megawatt Big Boquillas Ranch project approved in December 2010. The Salt River Project was announced as the first utility customer in August 2011.

Desert Rock Power Plant proposal is canceled

2011

Environmental activism by Diné CARE helped lead to cancellation of the proposed Desert Rock Power Plant in 2011.

Navajo Generating Station shuts down

2019

As part of a transition away from coal energy, the Navajo Generating Station shut down in 2019.

Navajo Nation electrification campaign continues

2019

By 2019, about 15,000 houses inhabited by approximately 60,000 residents lacked electricity. The authority was electrifying roughly 400 to 450 houses annually.

Ireland supports Navajo COVID-19 relief

2020

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ireland donated to the Navajo and Hopi Nations through a program called pay it forward.

Image source: COVID-19 pandemic in the Navajo Nation

Ireland supports Navajo COVID-19 relief

Navajo enrollment surpasses Cherokee Nation

2020

The number of Navajo tribal members increased to 399,494 in 2020, surpassing the Cherokee Nation as the largest tribal group by enrollment.

COVID-19 is first documented in Navajo Nation

Mar 17, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic was first documented in the Navajo Nation on March 17, 2020.

Language and education

Navajo Technical College is founded

1968 - 1979

The Navajo Nation Council founded the college in 1968 as the first tribal college in the United States. It opened in 1979 as the Navajo Skill Center.

Navajo teachers begin mandated language instruction

1984

Teachers on the Navajo Nation began teaching students in the Navajo language as mandated by the Nation.

Navajo Skill Center is renamed

1985

The Navajo Skill Center was renamed Crownpoint Institute of Technology in 1985.

Navajo Technical College is renamed

2006

Crownpoint Institute of Technology was renamed Navajo Technical College in 2006.

Navajo Technical College becomes a university

2013

Navajo Technical College was designated Navajo Technical University in 2013 in recognition of its expanded academic programs.

Navajo language becomes official language

Dec 30, 2024

Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren signed legislation making the Navajo language the official language of the Navajo Nation.

Navajo language speakers are reported

2025

In 2025, reports estimated that approximately 170,000 people spoke Navajo at home.

Key Facts

  1. The Navajo people refer to themselves as Diné, meaning “the People,” and their traditional homeland includes parts of present-day Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah.
  2. Diné communities developed a distinctive society based on farming, herding, weaving, trade, ceremony, and strong family and clan relationships.
  3. During the Long Walk of 1864, the United States forcibly removed thousands of Diné people to Bosque Redondo in New Mexico, where many endured hunger, disease, and harsh conditions.
  4. The 1868 Treaty created the Navajo Reservation and allowed the Diné to return to their homeland; the reservation later expanded to become the largest federally recognized reservation in the United States.
  5. Navajo sovereignty, language, ceremonies, arts, and political institutions continue to shape Diné life, while the Navajo Nation addresses modern challenges including water access, economic development, and cultural preservation.

Source

This Navajo History timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

We work hard to keep these timelines accurate, but mistakes do get through. If you spot one, email us at [email protected] and we'll fix it for future visitors.

Want a timeline like this one?

Generate yours with AI or build it from scratch, for free.

Try It for Free