Narbona (1766–
August 31,
1849) was a
Navajo
chief. He was killed in a confrontation with U.S. soldiers on
August 31,
1849.
Narbona was one of the wealthiest Navajo of his time due to the
amount of sheep and horses his outfit, or extended family group,
owned. He was not a "chief" of all of the Navajo, the independent
minded Navajo having no central authority, but he was very
influential due to his status in the tribe, gained from both his
wealth, high personal reputation and age at the time he negotiated
with the Americans.
Narbona
had become one of the most prominent leaders in the aftermath of
the massacre of 24 Navajo leaders in March 1822 at Jemez Pueblo
who had been travelling under flag of truce to a
peace conference with the New Mexican government.
In
February 1829 he lead the Navajo in battle against a Mexican
expedition into the Chuska Mountains
led by Captain Blas de Hinojos and defeated it
utterly. The site of the battle, Copper Pass (Beesh Lichii'I
Bigiizh), is now known as Narbona Pass.
In 1849, Narbona had ridden with several hundred of his warriors to
meet with a delegation of led by Col. John M. Washington to discuss
terms for peace between the Navajo and the "New Men", Americans who
had driven the Mexicans from what is now the Southwestern United
States. The US party was composed of both
U. S. Regulars and local New Mexican
auxiliaries.
After several misunderstandings, translators managed to work out an
acceptable list of terms for peace between the two parties. As the
peace council broke up, Sadoval, a young Navajo warrior of some
distinction, began riding his horse to and fro, exhorting the
200–300 Navajo warriors in attendance to break the new treaty
immediately, starting with the massacre of Col. Washington's
command. At this point, a
New Mexican
officer claimed that he noticed a horse that belonged to him being
ridden by one of the Navajo warriors. Navajos were great raiders of
livestock, so it is entirely possible that this horse did indeed
belong to the Americans. Washington, put in the position of backing
one of his troopers, demanded that the horse be immediately turned
over. The Navajo refused, and the horse and its rider
departed.
Washington commanded his troops to unlimber their cannon and
prepare to fire if the Navajo refused to return the, now absent,
property the Americans were claiming was stolen. The Navajo again
denied his request, and the cannon as well as some rifles were
fired.
Narbona was mortally wounded in the fusillade. As a final
indignity, according to eyewitnesses, he was also scalped by one of
the New Mexico militiamen. He was buried by his sons in the
traditional Navajo fashion, bound in a "death knotted" blanket and
cast into a crevice. Two of his finest horses were slaughtered to
ensure he would not walk to the afterlife.
See also
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