The Diné people of the Navajo Nation make up the largest indigenous tribe in the United States. Their number would be even greater if they hadn’t lost more than one-third of their population in 1864 during the Long Walk of the Navajo, a forced relocation and attempted ethnic cleansing by the United States government. In 2018, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Dinés’ return to their homeland, Navajo champion runner Edison Eskeets and his family organized a 330-mile run from Canyon de Chelly to Santa Fe to honor their ancestors’ journey. The resulting travelogue of the 15-day trek by Eskeets and Jim Kristofic, Send a Runner (University of New Mexico Press, $27.95), weaves together history, spirituality, culture, geography, athletic endeavor and physical sacrifice for a propulsive and deeply moving read.
