Negotiations on track to get 1868 treaty here

Negotiations on track to get 1868 treaty here

WINDOW ROCK

A representative from the National Archives is expected to visit Window Rock next month and if everything goes well, the tribe should get final approval to display the last known original copy of the Treaty of 1868 in time for the 150th anniversary of its signing next year.

The idea came from the man who brought the Navajo versions of “Star Wars” and “Finding Nemo” — Navajo Nation Museum Director Manuelito Wheeler.

Wheeler has been working on getting the treaty out to Navajoland since early this spring. The treaty, which was displayed at the Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., last year, currently resides in the National Archives.

Wheeler said Wednesday he has been in talks with officials at the National Archives who have expressed interest in allowing the museum to display the treaty for the month of June 2018 if certain requirements are met. “This will be monumental,” said Wheeler, who added that this will mark the first time the treaty has been on the reservation.

In the 1990s, the treaty was displayed in Flagstaff for a brief period of time, giving thousands of Navajos a chance to see the actual document. A lot of things still have to be ironed out — such as security and how the treaty will be displayed. “This is a very important historic document and it needs to be handled carefully,” Wheeler said.


 To read the full article, pick up your copy of the Navajo Times at your nearest newsstand Thursday mornings!

Are you a digital subscriber? Read the most recent three weeks of stories by logging in to your online account.

  Find newsstand locations at this link.

Or, subscribe via mail or online here.




About The Author

Bill Donovan

Bill Donovan wrote about Navajo Nation government and its people since 1971. He joined Navajo Times in 1976, and retired from full-time reporting in 2018 to move to Torrance, Calif., to be near his kids. He continued to write for the Times until his passing in August 2022.

ADVERTISEMENT

Weather & Road Conditions

Window Rock Weather

Overcast

36.0 F (2.2 C)
Dewpoint: 33.1 F (0.6 C)
Humidity: 89%
Wind: Calm
Pressure: 30.22

More weather »

ADVERTISEMENT