Railroad Through the Wilderness

In 1868, a solitary Native American overlooks a meandering creek in Nebraska, his gaze fixed on the newly completed Transcontinental Railroad. This image, steeped in quiet contemplation, belies the profound impact the railroad would have on his people and their way of life.

The construction of this vast iron pathway, while a marvel of engineering, brought irreversible changes to the native lands. The Native Americans had relinquished their land rights years before, unaware of the full consequences. The railroad’s intrusion disrupted ancestral hunting grounds and led to the drastic decline of the bison population, vital for the Navajo’s sustenance and culture.