Navajo Chief Narbona Primero

"Narbona Primero, sub-chief of the Western Navajo," photograph by Charles Bell. Palace of the Governors Photo Archives Collection (003197). Palace of the Governors Photo Archives, New Mexico History Museum, Santa Fe.

Navajo chief who participated in the Navajo Wars. 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 number of sheep and horses owned by his extended family group. He was not a "chief" of all of the Navajo as the independent minded Navajo had no central authority. However, he was very influential in the tribe due to the status gained from his wealth, personal reputation, and age during the time he negotiated with the white men.

Narbona became one of the most prominent tribal leaders after the massacre of 24 Navajo leaders in June, 1822 at Jemez Pueblo. They had been travelling under flag of truce to a peace conference with the New Mexican government.[1][2] In February 1835 he led the Navajo to a decisive victory in an ambush of a Mexican expedition in the Chuska Mountains led by Captain Blas de Hinojos. The site of the battle, Copper Pass (Béésh Łichííʼí Bigiizh), is now known as Narbona Pass.[2][3]

In 1849, Narbona, with several hundred of his warriors, rode to meet a delegation led by Col. John M. Washington to discuss peace terms between the Navajo and the "New Men", Americans who had driven the Mexicans from what is now the Southwestern United States. The U.S. 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. 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. 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 said was stolen. The Navajo again denied his request, and the Americans opened fire with cannon as well as rifles.

Narbona was mortally wounded in the fusillade, and according to eyewitnesses, he was 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.

His family prepared him for burial, carefully arranging his favorite possessions around him. Toward sunset, two of his sons carried Narbona's body, wrapped in a buffalo pelt with his jewelry, his buckskin war helmet, and bows and arrows, to drop it into a deep crevice. They stayed for four days and nights on a nearby hill, mourning for Narbona.

The man was gone, but his mark was forever engraved on the history of his people. The treaty to which he had given his consent was signed at Canyon de Chelly in September. The following year the United States Congress ratified it. During his long life, Narbona had gained and used many skills to protect his family from enemies of many descriptions. He had gained legendary fame by showing great courage and skill against the enemy. He had saved the people of his region from starvation by leading the long journey through Hopi country to water and new fields. He had sought peace honestly among leaders of three different nations which had ruled New Mexican territory, and he had kept his promises on many treaties by persuading many of his countrymen that peace was the best path to follow. Navajos far and wide paid him great respect for his knowledge of when to fight and when to press for peace. As an elderly man he had risked the difficult journey through enemy country to see for himself the new white neighbors. He had reported back faithfully of their power. On the day he died, he put his mark on the paper which resulted in the first treaty to be ratified between the Navajos and the United States. Narbona lived the honorable life of a great man, during the most difficult century the Navajos had ever known.