The Navajo Nation is marking the 137th anniversary of the signing of its treaty with the United States.

The June 1, 1868 treaty [Text] recognized the tribe's sovereignty over its vast three-state territory. It was signed after the U.S. government imprisoned more than 8,000 Navajos at a fort in New Mexico.

The treaty takes on special significance this year with the opening of a new visitor's center at Fort Sumner. The center, designed by a Navajo architect, will honor the Navajo and Apache people who were kept at the fort.

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Din celebrate Treaty Day (The Gallup Independent 6/1)