The relationship between the Navajo and the Spanish invaders was one of almost constant conflict. From the 1540s until the 1840s there were few periods of peace and even during those times ambushes occurred between the two groups. While the Spanish administration maintained good records , the local priests kept extensive burial records including the cause of death. During some periods almost weekly funerals were held for victims of Navajo raids. Spanish policies helped antagonize the Navajo including the Spanish alliances with Navajo enemies and the encouraging of slave raids into Navajo territory. The Spanish-Navajo animosity continued throughout the Mexican era almost without hesitation.

Warfare consisted of raids, ambushes between Navajo and Spanish allied tribes followed by Spanish assaults on Navajo towns. A Navajo raid on a pueblo often consisted of an attack against surrounding livestock herds rather than attacks against the town itself. Often these raids caused the Spanish to launch pursuit and retaliatory expeditions into Navajo territory which also doubled as slave raids. The majority of the Spanish force would be composed of their Pueblo allies which worsened relations between these native Nations. Spanish "allies" remained armed with native weapons, mainly the bow for most of the period.

However as the Spanish guns improved, they turned over outdated models to their allies. Their need for shot and powder made them even more dependent on the Spanish. It should be pointed out that the Spanish military might was not the major factor in subjugating native nations in the Southwest. The main reason was pressure from other Native Nations. The Pueblo people sought protection under Spanish rule because of the Navajo. The Navajo remained defiant of Spanish incursions until they were being badly mauled by their Ute and Comanche neighbors when they then approached Spanish authorities for help.

This timeline does not list every raid and ambush between the Spanish and Navajo. Primarily only those which resulted in large pitched battles and significant losses are listed. Likewise every retaliatory Spanish expedition is not listed but a few a given to provide the reader/ gamer with an idea of the troop compositions for those forces. Prior to 1700 the terms Navajo and Apache were used interchangeably without regard to the actual Apache group involved.

It was only after 1700, that Spanish authorities began to differentiate between the various Apache tribal groupings. As a result the Navajo-Apache designation may have been a Navajo or other Apache combatant. Because the Pueblo status as a Spanish ally, who provided Spanish officers and detachments at the pueblos, Navajo and Apache attacks on Pueblos are listed as part of this war. The Spanish-Pueblo conflicts and other intra-Native Nation wars are listed in separate timeline.

Navajo-Spanish Wars

Historical Background
War Timeline: 1600s
War Timeline: 1700s
War Timeline: 1800s