it happened Over 150 years ago. But the memory of the Long Walk, the forced expulsion of the Dineh (Navajo) people, still lingers in the landscape of the American Southwest.

Beginning in 1864, 8,500+ men, women and children They made the difficult winter journey across more than 300 miles from land in northeastern Arizona and northwestern New Mexico to concentration camps in eastern New Mexico. About 200 people died along the way from starvation, exposure to radiation, and violence from US military personnel who were evicted from their homelands.

those who survived endured a miserable situation In the Bosque Redondo settlement, they were devastated by disease, hunger and cold, and were forbidden to sing or pray in their native language.

The Long Walk may be part of our past, but “it’s still in us and we have to remember what happened,” says Dineh photographer Dakota Mace. I am writing in this photo essay presentation. “This moment in our history defines a new era of sovereignty, an era of resilience and survival, and a reminder of the struggle for our rights to land, natural resources and liberty.”

Rarely mentioned in American history books, few of the stories of the Long Walk that have been passed down by the elders of Dineh survive. Through the lens of his camera, Mace seeks to relive the memories of his ancestors and explore the stories of this sacred land.