Hubbell Trading Post

Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site is significant as a meeting ground of two cultures, the Navajo and the settlers who came to the area to trade. In 1878, John Lorenzo Hubbell purchased this trading post, ten years after Navajos were allowed to return to the Ganado region from their U.S.-imposed exile, what the Navajo called the Long Walk. The Navajos were forced to walk from their lands in present-day Arizona and New Mexico to a prisoner of war camp at Bosque Redondo, New Mexico. During the nearly 300-mile journey, many Navajos died from starvation, exposure and disease. Those who survived the journey were imprisoned at Bosque Redondo for four years. The experience was so traumatic that it forever changed the Navajo people. Following their release from Bosque Redondo, the Navajos were allowed to return to their homeland. However, their way of life had been irrevocably changed. The Navajos had lost their herds of sheep and goats, and they were now reliant on trade for their survival. The trading post has been restored and is now a museum that houses a collection of Navajo artifacts. It is also a popular destination for hikers, as it is located near several hiking trails.