In the 1860s, the Navajo tribe, the Diné, were forcibly removed from their homelands by the US military and sent to a military-controlled reservation in southcentral New Mexico. Many Navajos did not survive the harsh conditions and military violence they faced while marching hundreds of miles. The year 2018 marked the 150th anniversary of the Navajos’ eventual return to their homelands following the devastation of the Long Walk.
Edison Eskeets commemorates the anniversary by running 330 miles from Canyon de Chelly, Arizona, to Santa Fé, New Mexico, in sixteen days. At the pace of a marathon a day, Eskeets seeks to honor the survivors of the Long Walk and to deliver a message to the state legislature in Santa Fé, where the Long Walk was once planned and executed. His support team on the road includes Jim Kristofic, who observes the journey and records it in his notebook. Send a Runner: A Navajo Honors the Long Walk is a story of running for family,
for history, and for the future of the Diné.
Edison Eskeets is a former All-American runner, coach, artist, and teacher. He served as the head of school and the dean of students for the nationally recognized Native American Preparatory School.
Jim Kristofic grew up on the Navajo Reservation in northeastern Arizona.
He is the author of five previous books including Reservation Restless.
