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Manuelito was a great leader; he stood up to Kit Carson or as the Navajos called him "Rope Thrower." Kit Carson was a white man who took the Navajos from their homeland. They called him that because he used to do tricks with a rope. Manuelito told
His partner in helping with the long walk, Barboncito, was a leader, too. He was a spiritual leader to the Navajos. In 1864 is when the Long Walk started. The U.S government wanted to move the Navajos from their homeland and take over that piece of land. Since the government thought we had too much land. The Navajos were taken from Window Rock, AZ. To Hweedli [Bosque Redondo] between that 300 mile walk 200 died. Which means only about 100 lived! The trip took about 18 days to walk, by foot. Only some rode in wagons, like the elders. If they were sick or got pregnant and had a baby, the baby would be left behind. Some women were raped on the way to Bosque Redondo.
In 1868 the Navajos came back to their homeland, "Dinetah." The government gave the Navajos 3.5 million acres of land. That piece of land was scattered between the Four Scared Mountains. The reason why they were allowed to come back to their homeland was because Manuelito and Barboncito signed a treaty saying that their people can return. Throughout all those years Manuelito and Barboncito were in grief because they saw their people suffering.
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