Who forced the Navajo to leave their land?

Answer 1

Kit Carson and the USArmy defeated most of the Navajo people in 1864 and forced them to march about 450 miles in the Long Walk to Fort Sumner in NM territory ( also known as Bosque Redondo) in 1864. Brigadier General James H. Carleton ordered Carson to kill all the men of the tribe. He refused and tried to resign in February 3, 1863. His resignation was rejected. Under Carleton's direction, Carson instituted a scorched earth policy from Sept 1863 to Jan 1864. Carson got the Ute tribe, longstanding Navajo enemies to assist in burning crops, fruit trees, and homes and killing all livestock. About 10% died on the forced march to Ft Sumner and the bad conditions in the internments camps in the next four years.

Some, were never defeated and hid out especially on the northern flanks of Navajo Mountain with Hoskinini. Other's surrendered to protect their people. For example Ganado Mucho, in Navajo known as Totsohnii Hastiin ( man of big water clan), turned himself and his people in when he heard people were starving. He brought his huge herds to Ft Sumner with him.

In 1868 they were allowed to return to their ancestral homeland.

Answer 2

The US Army under the command in New Mexico territory of Gen Carleton. He ordered Kit Carson to lead a scorched earth campaign against the Navajo in 1863-4. They were allowed back in 1868.

The reasons are complex. The Indian Agent who sided with the Navajo was reassigned to West Point for the Civil War. Carleton had long intended to do this plan and had wanted to send them to Oklahoma. He felt their land should be opened for other Americans. There had been a Navajo leader in the east nearer to Santa Fe who had been keeping the peace and he died. Some interests in Santa Fe had the Generals ear. The US army killed a number of Navajo in a dispute over a horse race. Navajo raids and US army raids went back and forth. When Carleton easily defeated the small Confederate forces in New Mexico he faced having nothing to do or being moved. He chose to pursue his plan against the Navajo in the middle of the Civil War.