Navajo Nation: Terminology

5/1/23, 11:38 AM Navajo Nation - Wikipedia
Coordinates: 36°11′13″N 109°34′25″W
Navajo Nation
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Navajo Nation (Navajo: Naabeehó Diné Biyaad), also

known as Navajoland,[3] is a Native American reservation of Navajo Nation
Navajos in the United States. It occupies portions of Naabeehó
northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and Bináhásdzo (Navajo)
southeastern Utah; at roughly 17,544,500 acres (71,000 km2;
27,413 sq mi), the Navajo Nation is the largest land area held Indian reservation
by a Native American tribe in the U.S., exceeding ten U.S.
states. In 2010, the reservation was home to 173,667 out of
332,129 Navajo tribal members; the remaining 158,462 tribal
members lived outside the reservation, in urban areas (26
percent), border towns (10 percent), and elsewhere in the
U.S. (17 percent).[4] The seat of government is located in Flag Seal
Window Rock, Arizona.
Anthem:
The United States gained ownership of this territory in 1848 ("Dah Naatʼaʼí Sǫʼ bił Sinil"[1] and "Shí naashá"
after acquiring it in the Mexican-American War. The used for some occasions)
reservation was within New Mexico Territory and straddled
what became the Arizona-New Mexico border in 1912, when
the states were admitted to the union. Unlike many
reservations, it has expanded several times since its
establishment in 1868 to include most of northeastern
Arizona, a sizable portion of northwestern New Mexico, and
most of the area south of the San Juan River in southeastern
Utah. It is one of a few indigenous nations whose reservation
lands overlap its traditional homelands.
Terminology Location of the Navajo Nation.

Checkerboard-area in lighter shade
In English, the official name for the area was "Navajo Indian (see text)
Reservation", as outlined in Article II of the 1868 Treaty of Established June 1, 1868 (Treaty)
Bosque Redondo. On April 15, 1969, the tribe changed its Expansions 1878–2016
official name to the "Navajo Nation", which is displayed on its
Chapter 1922
seal.[5] In 1994, the Tribal Council rejected a proposal to system
change the official designation from "Navajo" to "Diné", a Tribal 1923
traditional name for the people. Some people said that Diné Council
represented the people in their time of suffering before the
Capital Window Rock
Long Walk, and that Navajo is the appropriate designation
(Tségháhoodzání)
for the future.[6] In the Navajo language, Diné means "the
Subdivisions 5 Agencies [hide]
People", a term many indigenous nations identify within their
respective languages. Among the Navajo populace, both Chʼínílį́
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navajo_Nation 1/30
terms are employed. In 2017, the Navajo Nation Council Tónaneezdizí

rejected legislation to change the name to "Diné Nation," Naatʼáaniinééz
citing potential "confusion and frustration among Navajo Tséhootsooí
citizens and non-Navajos."[7][8] Tʼiistsʼózí
In Navajo, the geographic entity with its legally defined 110 Chapters
borders is known as "Naabeehó Bináhásdzo". This contrasts Government
with "Diné Bikéyah" and "Naabeehó Bikéyah" for the general • Body Navajo Nation Council
idea of "Navajoland".[9] Neither of these terms should be • President Buu Nygren
confused with "Dinétah," the term used for the traditional • Vice Richelle Montoya
homeland of the Navajo. This is located in the area among the President
four sacred Navajo mountains of Dookʼoʼoosłííd (San Francisco • Speaker Crystalyne Curley
Peaks), Dibé Ntsaa (Hesperus Mountain), Sisnaajiní (Blanca • Chief JoAnn Jayne
Peak), and Tsoodził (Mount Taylor). Justice
Area
History • Total 71,000 km2
(27,413 sq mi)
The Navajo people's tradition of governance is rooted in their Population (2020)[2]
clans and oral history.[10] The clan system of the Diné is • Total 165,158
integral to their society. The system has rules of behavior that • Density 2.3/km2 (6.0/sq mi)
extend to the manner of refined culture that the Navajo 160,552 American
people call "walking in beauty".[11] The philosophy and clan Indian
system were established long before the Spanish colonial 4,606 White
occupation of Dinétah, through to July 25, 1868, when
Time zone MST/MDT
Congress ratified the Navajo Treaty with President Andrew
Johnson, signed by Barboncito, Armijo, and other chiefs and GDP $12.8 billion (2018)
headmen present at Bosque Redondo, New Mexico. Website www.navajo-nsn.gov
(http://www.navajo-ns
The Navajo people have continued to transform their n.gov/)
conceptual understandings of government since signing
the Treaty of 1868. Social, cultural, and political
academics continue to debate the nature of modern
Navajo governance and how it has evolved to include the
systems and economies of the "western world".[12]
Reservation and expansion
In the mid-19th century, primarily in the 1860s, most of

Navajo Woman at a waterfall circa 1920
the Navajo were forced to abandon their homes due to a
series of military campaigns by the U.S. Army conducted
with a scorched-earth policy and sanctioned by the U.S.
government. The Army burned their homes and agricultural fields, and stole or killed livestock, to
weaken and starve the Navajo into submission. In 1864, the main body of Navajo, numbering 8,000
adults and children, were marched 300 miles on the Long Walk to imprisonment in Bosque
Redondo.[13] The Treaty of 1868 established the "Navajo Indian Reservation" and the Navajo people
left Bosque Redondo for this territory.
The borders were defined as the 37th parallel in the

north; the southern border as a line running through Fort
Defiance; the eastern border as a line running through
Fort Lyon; and in the west as longitude 109°30′.[14]: 68
As drafted in 1868, the boundaries were defined as:
the following district of country, to wit:

bounded on the north by the 37th degree of
north latitude, south by an east and west line
passing through the site of old Fort Defiance,
in Canon Bonito, east by the parallel of
longitude which, if prolonged south, would
Border changes and expansions of the Navajo
pass through old Fort Lyon, or the Ojo-de-oso,
Reservation from 1868 to 1934
Bear Spring, and west by a parallel of
longitude about 109º 30' west of Greenwich,
provided it embraces the outlet of the Canon-
de-Chilly [Canyon de Chelly], which canyon is
to be all included in this reservation, shall be,
and the same hereby, set apart for the use and
occupation of the Navajo tribe of Indians, and
for such other friendly tribes or individual
Indians as from time to time they may be
willing, with the consent of the United States,
to admit among them; and the United States
agrees that no persons except those herein so
authorized to do, and except such officers, Map of the Navajo Nation
soldiers agents, and employees of the shown within the Four
Government, or of the Indians, as may be Corners region of the
authorized to enter upon Indian reservations Soutwestern United States
in discharge of duties imposed by law, or the
orders of the President, shall ever be
permitted to pass over, settle upon, or reside
in, the territory described in this article.[15]
Though the treaty had provided for one hundred miles by one hundred
miles in the New Mexico Territory, the size of the territory was 3,328,302
acres (13,470 km2; 5,200 sq mi)[14]—slightly more than half. This initial
piece of land is represented in the design of the Navajo Nation's flag by a
dark-brown rectangle.[16]
As no physical boundaries or signposts were set in place, many Navajo

ignored these formal boundaries and returned to where they had been
1904 photograph of a
living prior to the US occupation.[14] A significant number of Navajo had
young Navajo man
never lived in the Hwéeldi (near Fort Sumner). They remained or moved
near the Little Colorado and Colorado rivers, on Naatsisʼáán (Navajo
Mountain), and some lived with Apache bands.[13]
The first expansion of the territory occurred on October 28, 1878, when President Rutherford Hayes
signed an executive order pushing the reservation boundary 20 miles to the west.[14] Further
additions followed throughout the late 19th and early 20th century (see map). Most of these additions
were achieved through executive orders, some of which were confirmed by acts of Congress. For
example, President Theodore Roosevelt's executive order to add the region around Aneth, Utah in
1905 was confirmed by Congress in 1933.[17]
The eastern border was shaped primarily as a result of allotments of land to individual Navajo
households under the Dawes Act of 1887. This experiment was designed to assimilate Native
Americans into mainstream American culture. The federal government proposed to divide communal
lands into plots assignable to heads of household – tribal members – for their subsistence farming, in
the pattern of small family farms common among Americans. This was intended to extinguish tribal
land claims for such territory. The land allocated to these Navajo heads of household was initially not
considered part of the reservation. Further, the federal government determined that land "left over"
after all members had received allotments was to be considered "surplus" and available for sale to
non-Native Americans. The allotment program continued until 1934. Today, this patchwork of
reservation and non-reservation land is called the "checkerboard area". It resulted in the loss of much
Navajo land.[18]
In the southeastern area of the reservation, the Navajo Nation has purchased some ranches, which it
refers to as its Nahata Dził, or New Lands. These lands are leased to Navajo individuals, livestock
companies, and grazing associations.
In 1996, Elouise Cobell (Blackfeet) filed a class action lawsuit against the federal government on
behalf of an estimated 250,000–500,000 plaintiffs, Native Americans whose trust accounts did not
reflect an accurate accounting of money owed them under leases or fees on trust lands. The settlement
of Cobell v. Salazar in 2009 included a provision for a nearly $2 billion fund for the government to
buy fractionated interests and restore land to tribal reservations. Individuals could sell their
fractionated land interests on a voluntary basis, at market rates, through this program if their tribe
participated.
Through March 2017, under the Tribal Nations Buy-Back Program, individual Navajo members
received $104 million for purchase of their interests in land; 155,503 acres were returned to the
Navajo Nation for its territory by the Department of Interior under this program.[19] The program is
intended to help tribes restore the land bases of their reservations. Almost 11,000 Navajo citizens
were paid for their interests under this program. The tribe intends to use the consolidated lands to
"streamline infrastructure projects," such as running power lines.
Clan governance
In the traditional Navajo culture, local leadership was organized around clans, which are matrilineal
kinship groups. Children are considered born into the mother's family and gain their social status
from her and her clan. Her eldest brother traditionally has a strong influence on rearing the children.
The clan leadership have served as a de facto government on the local level of the Navajo Nation.
Rejection of Indian Reorganization Act
In 1933, during the Great Depression, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) attempted to mitigate
environmental damage due to over-grazing on reservations. Significant pushback was given by the
Navajo, who did not feel that they had been sufficiently consulted before the measures were
implemented. BIA Superintendent John Collier's attempt to reduce livestock herd size affected
responses to his other efforts to improve conditions for Native Americans. The herds had been central
to Navajo culture, and were a source of prestige.[20]
Also during this period, under the Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) of 1934, the federal government
was encouraging tribes to revive their governments according to constitutional models shaped after
that of the United States. Because of the outrage and discontent about the herd issues, the Navajo
voters did not trust the language of the proposed initial constitution outlined in the legislation. This
contributed to their rejection of the first version of a proposed tribal constitution.
In the various attempts since, members found the process to be too cumbersome and a potential
threat to tribal self-determination. The constitution was supposed to be reviewed and approved by
BIA. The earliest efforts were rejected primarily because segments of the tribe did not find enough
freedom in the proposed forms of government. In 1935 they feared that the proposed government
would hinder development and recovery of their livestock industries; in 1953 they worried about
restrictions on development of mineral resources.
They continued a government based on traditional models, with headmen chosen by clan groups.
Navajo Nation and federal government jurisdictions

The Navajo Nation must submit all proposed laws to the United
States Secretary of the Interior for Secretarial Review, through the
Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). The Navajo Nation adheres to this
process because the United States Congress asserts plenary power
over tribes in the United States.
The US Supreme Court in United States v. Kagama (1889)

affirmed that Congress has plenary power over all Indian tribes
within United States borders, stating that "The power of the
general government over these remnants of a race once powerful Tségháhoodzání, the "Window Rock"
... is necessary to their protection as well as to the safety of those
among whom they dwell".[21] The Supreme Court noted that the
tribes did not owe any allegiance to the states within which their territories were located; they are
considered wards of the federal government.[22]
Most conflicts and controversies between the federal government of the United States and the Nation
are settled by negotiations outlined in political agreements. The Navajo Nation Code consists of
codified rules and laws of the Navajo Nation.[23] The Navajo Nation Code has 26 titles, covering
subjects from the Navajo Nation Government to Commerce and Trade to Water. The 2010 version is
available on the Navajo Nation Office of Legislative Services, as well as a section for amendments (htt
ps://www.nnols.org/navajo-nation-code/amendments/) beginning from January 2014 to December
2022.
There is a map that outlines the boundaries of the Navajo Nation, available on the Navajo Land
Department's Website.[24] Also, see Dine Land Use's website for the history of the Navajo Nation's
land base.[25] Lands within the boundaries of the Navajo Nation are composed of Public, Tribal Trust,
Tribal Fee, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Private, State, and BIA Indian Allotment Lands.
Within the Arizona and Utah portions of the Navajo Nation, there are a few private and BIA Indian
Allotments in comparison to New Mexico's portion, which consists of a checkerboard pattern of all the
aforementioned lands. The Eastern Agency, as it is referred to, consists of primarily Tribal Fee, BIA
Indian Allotments, and BLM Lands. Although there are more Tribal Fee Lands in New Mexico, the
Navajo Nation government intends to convert most or all Tribal Fee Lands to Tribal Trust, which has
some benefits according to the Bureau of Indian Affairs.[26]
Government
The Title II Amendment of 1989 established the Navajo Nation
government as a three-part system (changes to the judicial branch
had already begun in 1958). Two branches are independent of the
council (where all government decision making was centralized
before the change).
The president and vice-president are elected every four years. The
Executive nominates judges of the District Courts, and the
Supreme Court.[27] The nation consists of several divisions,
departments, offices, and programs as established by law.[28]
Vice President Myron Lizer,
Congressman Tom O'Halleran and
President Jonathan Nez in 2020
Constitution
In 2006, a committee for a "Navajo Constitution" began

advocating for a Navajo constitutional convention. The committee's goal was to have representation
from every chapter on the Navajo Nation represented at a constitutional convention. The committee
proposed the convention be held in the traditional naachid/modern chapter house format, where
every member of the nation wishing to participate may do so through their home chapters. The
committee was formed by former Navajo leaders Kelsey Begaye, Peterson Zah, Peter MacDonald, Ivan
Gamble (a writer/social activist), and other local political activists.[29]
Judiciary branch
Prior to Long Walk of the Navajo, judicial powers were exercised by peace chiefs (Hózhǫ́ǫ́jí Naatʼááh) in
a mediation-style process.[30] While the people were held at Bosque Redondo, the U.S. Army handled
severe crimes. Lesser crimes and disputes remained in the purview of the villages' chiefs. After the
Navajo return from Bosque Redondo in 1868, listed criminal offenses were handled by the US Indian
Agent of the Bureau of Indian Affairs with support of the U.S. Army, while lesser disputes remained
under Navajo control.
In 1892, BIA Agent David L. Shipley established the Navajo Court of Indian Offenses and appointed
judges.[31] Previously, judicial authority was exercised by the Indian Agent.[31]
In 1950, the Navajo Tribal Council decided that judges should be elected. By the time of the judicial
reorganization of 1958, the council had determined that, due to problems with delayed decisions and
partisan politics, appointment was a better method of selecting judges.[32]
The president makes appointments, subject to confirmation by the Navajo Nation Council; however,
the president is limited to the list of names vetted by the Judiciary Committee of the council.[33]
The current judicial system for the Navajo Nation was created by the Navajo Tribal Council on 16
October 1958. It established a separate branch of government, the "Judicial Branch of the Navajo
Nation Government", which became effective 1 April 1959.[34] The Navajo Court of Indian Offenses
was eliminated; the sitting judges became judges in the new system. The resolution established "Trial
Courts of the Navajo Tribe" and the "Navajo Tribal Court of Appeals", which was the highest tribal
court and its only appellate court.
In 1978, the Navajo Tribal Council established a "Supreme Judicial Council", a political body rather
than a court. On a discretionary basis, it could hear appeals from the Navajo Tribal Court of
Appeals.[35] Subsequently, the Supreme Judicial Council was criticized for bringing politics directly
into the judicial system and undermining "impartiality, fairness and equal protection".[36]
In December 1985, the Navajo Tribal Council passed the Judicial Reform Act of 1985, which
eliminated the Supreme Judicial Council. It redefined the "Navajo Tribal Court of Appeals" as the
"Navajo Nation Supreme Court", and redefined "Trial Courts of the Navajo Tribe" as "District Courts
of the Navajo Nation".[37] Navajo courts are governed by Title 7, "Courts and Procedures", of the
Navajo Tribal Code.[37]
From 1988 to 2006, there were seven judicial districts and two satellite courts. As of 2010, there are
ten judicial districts, centered respectively in Alamo (Alamo/Tó'hajiilee), Aneth, Chinle, Crownpoint,
Dilkon, Kayenta, Ramah, Shiprock, Tuba City and Window Rock.[38] All of the districts also have
family courts, which have jurisdiction over domestic relations, civil relief in domestic violence, child
custody and protection, name changes, quiet title, and probate. As of 2010, there were 17 trial judges
presiding in the Navajo district and family courts.[39]
Executive branch
The Navajo Nation Presidency, in its current form, was created on December 15, 1989, after directives
from the federal government guided the Tribal Council to establish the current judicial, legislative,
and executive model. This was a departure from the system of "Council and Chairmanship" from the
previous government body.
Conceptual additions were made to the language of Navajo Nation Code Title II, and the acts
expanded the new government on April 1, 1990. Qualifications for the position of president include
fluency in the Navajo language (this has seldom been enforced and in 2015 the council changed the
law to repeal this requirement). Term limits allow only two consecutive terms.[40]
Legislative branch
The Navajo Nation Council, formerly the Navajo Tribal Council, is the legislative branch of the Navajo
Nation. As of 2010, the Navajo Nation Council consists of 24 delegates, representing the 110 chapters,
elected every four years by registered Navajo voters. Prior to the November 2010 election, the Navajo
Nation Council consisted of 88 representatives. The Navajo voted for the change in an effort to have a
more efficient government and to curb tribal government corruption associated with council members
who established secure seats.[41]
Chapters
In 1927, agents of the U.S. federal government initiated a new

form of local government entities called Chapters, modeled after
jurisdictional governments in the US such as counties or
townships. Each chapter elected officers and followed
parliamentary procedures.
By 1933, more than 100 chapters operated across the Navajo

Nation. The chapters served as liaisons between the Navajo and
the federal governments, respectively. They also acted as voting
precincts for the election of tribal council delegates. They served Navajo Nation Council Chamber, a
as forums for local tribal leaders but the chapters had no authority National Historic Landmark
within the structure of the Navajo Nation government.[42]
In 1998, the Navajo Tribal Council passed the "Local Governance Act" (LGA), which expanded the
political roles of the existing 110 chapters. It authorized them to make decisions on behalf of the
chapter members and to take over certain roles previously delegated to the council and executive
branches. This included entering into intergovernmental agreements with federal, state and tribal
entities, subject to approval by the Intergovernmental Relations Committee of the council. As of
2006, 44 chapters were LGA certified.[43]
Administrative divisions
Agencies and chapters
The Navajo Nation is divided into five agencies. The seat of government is located at the Navajo
Governmental Campus in Window Rock/Tségháhoodzání. These agencies are composed of several
chapters each, and reflect the five Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) agencies created in the early
formation of the Navajo Nation.
The five agencies within the Navajo Nation are Chinle Agency in Chinle, Arizona; Eastern Navajo
Agency in Crownpoint, New Mexico; Western Navajo Agency in Tuba City, Arizona; Fort Defiance
Agency in Fort Defiance, Arizona; and Shiprock Agency in Shiprock, New Mexico. The BIA agencies
provide various technical services under direction of the BIA's Navajo Area Office at Gallup, New
Mexico.
Agencies are divided into chapters as the smallest political unit, similar to municipalities or small U.S.
counties. The Navajo capital city of Window Rock is located in the chapter of St. Michaels, Arizona.
The Navajo Nation also operates executive offices in Washington, DC to facilitate government-to-
government relations and for lobbying services and congressional relations.
Departments and divisions
Law enforcement
Navajo law enforcement consists of approximately 300 tribal police officers; only three are non-
Native.
Certain classes of crimes, such as capital cases, are prosecuted and adjudicated in Federal courts.
However, the Navajo Nation operates its own divisions of law enforcement via the Navajo Division of
Public Safety, commonly referred to as the Navajo Nation Police (formerly Navajo Tribal Police). Law
enforcement functions are also delegated to the Navajo Nation Department of Fish and Wildlife:
Wildlife Law Enforcement and Animal Control Sections; Navajo Nation Forestry Law Enforcement
Officers; and the Navajo Nation EPA Criminal Enforcement Section; and Navajo Nation Resource
Enforcement (Navajo Rangers).
Other local, state and federal law enforcement agencies routinely work on the Navajo Nation,
including the BIA Police, National Park Service U.S. Park Rangers, U.S. Forest Service Law
Enforcement and Investigations, Bureau of Land Management Law Enforcement, Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA), US Marshals, Federal Bureau of Investigation as well as other Native
American units such as the Ute Mountain Agency and the Hopi Agency plus Arizona Highway Patrol,
Utah Highway Patrol, New Mexico Department of Public Safety (State Police and Highway Patrol),
Apache County Sheriff's Office, Navajo County Sheriff's Office, McKinley County Sheriff's Office.
Other agencies
Transportation
Health
Education
Navajo Nation Parks & Recreation
Regional Commissions
Regional government functions are carried out by the "District Grazing Committees" and "Off-
Reservation Land Boards", "Major Irrigation Projects Farm Boards", and "Agency Councils".[44]
Politics
Notable Navajo politicians

Henry Chee Dodge, first chairman of Navajo Tribal Council (1922–1928, 1942–1946)
Tom B. Becenti, tribal judge and chapter official from Eastern Navajo Agency. WWII veteran. He is
known to have helped develop the Navajo Tribal Court System while preserving traditional Navajo
Fundamental Law.[45]
Peter MacDonald, Navajo Tribal chairman convicted for cause (1971–1983, 1987–1989)
Jacob (JC) Morgan, first chairman elected by the tribe, serving 1938–1942
Lilakai Julian Neil, first woman elected to Navajo Tribal Council, serving 1946–1951
John Pinto, New Mexico state senator (1977-2019), code talker and military veteran, teacher and
National Education Association organizer[46]
Amos Frank Singer, early Council delegate from Kaibito and designer of Navajo Seal
Joe Shirley Jr., oversaw the reduction in seats on the Navajo Council
Annie Dodge Wauneka, Navajo Tribal councilwoman and philanthropist (1951–1978)
Peterson Zah, chairman and first president of the Navajo Nation (1983–1987, 1991–1995)
Navajo Nation presidential election, 2015
On August 25, 2014, the Navajo Nation held primary elections for the Office of President.[47] Joe
Shirley Jr. and Chris Deschene had the two highest vote counts. In the weeks following, two other
primary candidates sued in tribal court, invoking a never-used 1990s law that required candidates to
be fluent in the Navajo language. They asked for an assessment of the leading candidates' language
skills[48]
On October 23, 2014,[49] the Office of Hearings and Appeals of the tribe held the first hearing on the
complaint filed against Deschene. The meeting was presided by chief hearing officer Richie Nez.[50]
The court body ruled in favor of Dale Tsosie[51] and Hank Whitethorne, the former primary
candidates, and issued a default ruling against Deschene, who had refused to participate in
assessment.
Later that day, the Navajo Supreme Court, in a special session on the matter, enforced the ruling from
the lower Court body and ordered that the Navajo government remove Deschene from the
presidential ballot because of his lack of Navajo language skills.[52]
The High Court ruled that the presidential election scheduled for November 4 (12 days later), would
be postponed, and ordered that it be held by the end of January 2015. Chief Justice Herb Yazzie[53]
and Associate Justice Eleanor Shirley ruled for the 2–1 majority; Justice Irene Black wrote in her
dissent that the technicality must be sent back to the lower court for correction there. The decision did
not outline who would act as executive at the end of the current president's term (January 2015).
In the early hours of October 24, 2014 the Navajo Council passed legislative Bill 0298-14[54]
amending the Navajo Nation Code. The legislation repealed the language requirement of the
qualifications sections for president. This enabled Chris Deschene's participation in the election.[55]
The following Monday, the Navajo Board of Election Supervisors (NBES) met but took no action to
implement the court directives. Counsel for NBES motioned the High Court for further instruction.
The next day, the Navajo Nation Election Board commissioner, Wallace Charley (joined later by
Kimmeth Yazzie, Navajo Election Administration) announced that Deschene's name would remain on
the ballot.[56] Though he had vowed to continue, Deschene resigned from the race on October 30.[57]
On October 29, Navajo President Ben Shelly vetoed the bill repealing the language requirement.[58]
The Navajo General Election was held. Joe Shirley Jr. had the majority of votes by the unofficial tally.
The Navajo Council scheduled a primary and general election for June and August 2015.[59] On
Monday, January 5, 2015, President Shelly vetoed the language fluency bill.[60] On January 7, five
assistant attorneys-general filed petition with the Navajo Nation Supreme Court for clarification on
the question of the presidential vacancy issue. Through a controversial agreement and resolution, the
Court and the Council appointed Ben Shelly to act as interim President.[61]
In the special election, businessman Russell Begaye was elected as president and Jonathan Nez as
vice-president. In May 2015, they were sworn in. Begaye supports encouraging native language use
among the Navajo, who have the most members of nearly any tribe who speak their native language.
Approximately half of the Nation's 340,000 members speak Navajo. Begaye came to office supporting
the Grand Canyon Escalade, a proposed project to increase tourism at the canyon, as well as
initiatives to develop a rail port to export crops and coal from the reservation and to pursue clean coal
technology.[62]
Infrastructure
The Navajo Tribal Utility Authority provides utility services for houses. By 2019 it was conducting a
campaign to electrify remaining houses without electricity. As of 2019 about 15,000 houses, with
60,000 residents, did not have electricity; at that time the authority electrified, on an annual basis,
400-450 houses.[63] The Navajo Nation has 13 grocery stores, 12 health facilities, 170 hospital beds, 13
intensive care unit beds, 52 isolation rooms, and 28 ventilators. [64]
Coconino County installed a Wi-Fi hotspot between the Page Magistrate Court Buildings and
Coconino County Health and Human Services Northern Region Office at 467 Vista Ave. in Page,
Arizona.[65] While remaining in a vehicle, this hotspot, named CountyWi-Fi, is freely accessible and
does not require a network password.[66] Northern Arizona University (NAU), with clearance from
Navajo and Hopi officials, extended free Wi-Fi signals to parking lots on the Navajo Nation for any
college and K-12 student.[67][68] Coconino County offers assistance for rent and utilities based on
income eligibility. Assistance may be granted for electric, gas, wood, water, propane, rental, or utility
deposits when moving.[69][70]
International cooperation
In December 2012, Ben Shelly led a delegation of Navajo overseas to Israel, where they toured the
country as representatives for the Navajo people. In April 2013, Shelly's aide, Deswood Tome, led a
delegation of Israeli agricultural specialists on a tour of resources on the Navajo Nation. The visit by
Israelis was criticized by some indigenous people who believe that Palestinians in Israel have a status
similar to their own.[71]
Geography
The land area of the Navajo Nation is over 27,000 square
miles (70,000 km2),[72][73] making it the largest Indian
reservation in the United States; it is approximately
8,000 km2 larger than the state of West Virginia.[74]
Adjacent to or near the Navajo Nation are the Southern

Ute of Colorado, and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe of
Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico, both along the
northern borders; the Jicarilla Apache Tribe to the east;
the Zuni Pueblo and White Mountain Apache to the
south; and the Hualapai Bands in the west. The Navajo
Nation's territory fully surrounds the Hopi Indian
Reservation.[73]
Map showing populated places on the Navajo
In the 1980s, a conflict over shared lands peaked when Nation and surrounding area
the Department of the Interior attempted to relocate
Navajo residents living in what is still referred to as the
Navajo–Hopi Joint Use Area. The litigious and social conflict between the two tribes and neighboring
communities ended with "The Bennett Freeze"

Agreement, completed in July 2009 by President Barack
Obama. The agreement lessened the contentious land
disagreement by providing a 75-year lease to Navajo who
had land claims dating to before the US occupation of the
territory.
Situated on the Navajo Nation are Canyon de Chelly

National Monument, Monument Valley, Rainbow Bridge
National Monument, the Shiprock monadnock, and the
eastern portion of the Grand Canyon. Navajo Territory in
New Mexico is popularly referred as the "Checkerboard"
area because it is interrupted by Navajo and non-Native
Navajo. Seven riders on horseback and dog
fee ownership of numerous plots of land. In this area,
trek against background of canyon cliffs.
Navajo lands are intermingled with fee lands, owned by Edward S. Curtis (1904)
both Navajo and non-Navajo, and federal and state lands
under various jurisdictions.[75][73] Three large non-
contiguous sections located in New Mexico are also under Navajo jurisdiction: these are the Ramah
Navajo Indian Reservation, the Alamo Navajo Indian Reservation, and the Tohajiilee Indian
Reservation near Albuquerque.[73]
Climate
Much of the Navajo Nation is situated on the Colorado Plateau.[76] The large variation in altitude
(3,080 feet (940 m) to 10,346 feet (3,153 m)) throughout the Navajo Nation produces considerable
variations in climate, from an arid, desert climate, accounting for 55% of the area, through an
intermediate steppe region, to the cold, sub-humid climate of the mountainous 8% of the
area.[77][78][73] Average daily temperatures range from 43 °F (6 °C) to 60 °F (16 °C), with a low of 4 °F
(−16 °C) in mountainous regions and a high of 110 °F (43 °C) in the desert. Average rainfall is 16–27
inches (410–690 mm) at higher elevations, and 7–11 inches (180–280 mm) in the desert.[78]
Daylight saving time
To maintain consistent time throughout its territory, the Navajo Nation observes daylight saving time
(DST) on its Arizona land as well as on its Utah and New Mexico lands. But the rest of Arizona,
including the Hopi Reservation, an enclave within the Arizona portion of the Nation, have opted out
of DST.[79]
Demographics
On the 2010 census 166,826 residents identified as Navajo or other Native American, 3,249 as White,
401 Asian or Pacific Islanders, 208 African American, and the remainder identify as some other group
or more than one ancestry.[2] The 2010 census recorded 109,963 individuals who report speaking a
language at home that is neither Asian nor Indo-European.[2] DiscoverNavajo.com reports that 96%
of the Navajo Nation is American Indian, and 66% of Navajo tribe members live on Navajo Nation.[80]
The average family size was 4.1, and the average household was home to 3.5 persons. The average
household income in 2010 was $27,389.[2]
Nearly half of the enrolled members of the Navajo tribe live outside the
nationʼs territory, and the total enrolled population is 300,048, as of July
2011.[81] As of 2016, 173,667 Diné lived on tribal lands.[82]
Education
Historically, the Navajo Nation resisted compulsory western education,
including boarding schools, as imposed by the government in the
aftermath of the Long Walk.[83] Navajo families and society have
provided traditional and home education with considerable scope and
depth since before the US annexation.
Continued education, and retention of Navajo students in school are

significant priorities.[84] Major problems faced by the Nations relates to Navajo woman and child, c.
helping students build competitive GPAs and to prevent a very high drop- 1880–1910
out rate[85] among high school students. Over 150 public, private, and
Bureau of Indian Affairs schools serve Nation students from kindergarten
through high school. Most schools are funded from the Navajo Nation
under the Johnson O’Malley program.
The Nation runs community Head Start Programs, the only educational
program fully operated by the Navajo Nation government. Post-
secondary education and vocational training are available on and off the
territory.
The Navajo Nation operates Tséhootsooí Diné Bi'ólta', a Navajo-language

immersion school for grades K–8 in Fort Defiance, Arizona. Located on
the Arizona-New Mexico border in the southeastern quarter of the
Navajo Nation, the school strives to revitalize Navajo among children of
the Window Rock Unified School District. Tséhootsooí Diné Bi'ólta' has
thirteen Navajo language teachers who instruct only in the Navajo Navajo girl Canyon de
language. Five English language teachers instruct in the English Chelly, (1941) Ansel Adams
language. Kindergarten and first grade are taught completely in the
Navajo language, while English is incorporated into the program during
third grade, when it is used for about 10% of instruction.[86]
Primary and secondary education
The Nation has access to six systems of primary and secondary academic
institutions that serve Navajo students, including: A Navajo man on
horseback in Monument
Arizona public schools Valley
New Mexico public schools
Utah public schools
Bureau of Indian Education-operated public schools
Association of Navajo-Controlled schools
Navajo Preparatory School, Inc.
Diné College – Tsaile campus
The Navajo Nation operates Diné College, a two-year tribal

community college, with its main campus at Tsaile in Apache
County, Arizona. The college also operates seven sub-campuses
throughout the nation. The Navajo Nation Council founded the
college in 1968 as the first tribal college in the United States.[87]
Since then, tribal colleges have been established on numerous
reservations and now total 32.[87] Diné College has 1,830 students
enrolled, of which 210 are students seeking transfer to four-year The Ned A Hataałi Center at Diné
institutions in order to earn bachelor's degrees. College's Tsaile campus
Center for Diné Studies
The college includes the Center for Diné Studies. Its goal is to apply Navajo Sa'ah Naagháí Bik'eh
Hózhóón principles to advance quality student learning through Nitsáhákees (thinking), Nahat'á
(planning), Iiná (living), and Siihasin (assurance) in study of the Diné language, history, and culture.
Students are prepared for further studies and employment in a multi-cultural and technological
world.
Navajo Technical University (NTU)
Located in Crownpoint, New Mexico, Navajo Technical University is a tribal university offering
various vocational, technical, and academic degrees and certificates. NTU was opened in 1979 as the
Navajo Skill Center, intended to provide opportunity to unemployed people of the Navajo Nation. The
center has since been renamed multiple time in response to growth and its changing programs.
In 1985 it was renamed Crownpoint Institute of Technology and in 2006 as Navajo Technical College.
In 2013 it was named as a "university" in recognition of its program expansion, under resolution
codified by the Navajo Nation Council.[88][89]
Environmental and health concerns
Uranium mining
Extensive uranium mining took place in areas of the Navajo Nation from the 1940s, and stringent
worker and environmental safety laws were not passed and enforced until the early 1960s.[90]
Studies[90] have proven uranium mining created severe environmental consequences for miners and
nearby residents. Several types of cancer occur at much higher rates than the national average in
these locations.[91][92] Especially high are the rates of reproductive-organ cancers in teenage Navajo
girls, averaging seventeen times higher than the average of girls in the United States.[93] In 1990,
Congress passed the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act.
Residents of the Red Water Pond Road area have requested relocation to a new, off-grid village to be
located on Standing Black Tree Mesa. Cleanup is underway on the Northeast Church Rock Mine
Superfund site. They proposed this as an alternative to the EPA-proposed relocation of residents to
Gallup.[94]
Navajo neurohepatopathology
The Navajo are uniquely affected by a rare and life-threatening autosomal recessive multi-system
disorder called Navajo Neurohepatopathology (NNH). This genetic condition is estimated to occur in
1 of every 1,600 live births.[95] The most severe symptoms include neuropathy and liver dysfunction
(hepatopathy), both of which may be moderate and progressive or severe and fatal, as it often is in
cases that develop in infants (before 6 months of age) or children (1–5 years). Other symptoms
include corneal anesthesia and scarring, acral mutilation (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/art
icle/abs/pii/016501738590027X), cerebral leukoencephalopathy, failure to thrive, and recurrent
metabolic acidosis, with intercurrent infections.[95]
Diabetes
Diabetes mellitus is a major health problem among the Navajo, Hopi and Pima tribes, whose
members are diagnosed at a rate about four times higher than the age-standardized U.S. estimate.
Medical researchers believe increased consumption of carbohydrates, coupled with genetic factors,
play significant roles in the emergence of this chronic disease among Native Americans.[96]
Severe combined immunodeficiency
One in every 2,500 children in the Navajo population inherits severe combined immunodeficiency
(SCID). This genetic disorder results in births of children with virtually no immune system. In the
general population, the genetic disorder is much more rare, affecting one in 100,000 children. The
disorder is sometimes known as "bubble boy disease". This condition is a significant cause of illness
and death among Navajo children. Research reveals a similar genetic pattern among the related
Apache.
In a December 2007 Associated Press article, Mortan Cowan, M.D., director of the Pediatric Bone
Marrow Transplant Program at the University of California, San Francisco, noted that, although
researchers have identified about a dozen genes that cause SCID, the Navajo/Apache population has
the most severe form of the disorder. This is due to the mutations in the gene DCLRE1C, which leads
to a defective copy of the protein Artemis. Without the gene, children's bodies are unable to repair
DNA or develop disease-fighting cells.[97]
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic reached the Navajo Nation on March 17, 2020.[98] On March 20, a stay-at-
home order was issued after 14 cases of the coronavirus were confirmed, with an 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
curfew enforced.[99] Beginning April 12, a 57-hour weekend curfew was declared.[100][101] At that
point, there were 698 confirmed cases of coronavirus, including 24 deaths, among members of the
Navajo Nation living in New Mexico, Arizona and Utah.[100][102] On April 19, the Navajo Department
of Health issued an emergency public health order mandating the use of masks outside the home, in
addition to existing orders for sheltering in place and for nightly and weekend curfews.[103]
By April 20, the Navajo Nation had the third-highest infection rate in the United States, after New
York and New Jersey.[98] As of May 18, 2020, the Navajo Nation surpassed New York as most affected
U.S. region per capita,[104] with 4,071 positive COVID-19 tests and 142 fatalities recorded.[105]
On April 25, the Nation announced that it was joining 10 other tribes in a lawsuit against the U.S.
Secretary of the Treasury, over what the plaintiffs said was an unfair allocation of money to the tribes
under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).[106][107] On May 5,
$600 million of aid money was delivered to the Navajo Nation, a month after the legislation was
signed into law.[108]
As of February 2, 2022, there are 50,428 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 1,619 deaths from the
virus.[109]
Economy
The Navajo economy and culture has long been based on the
raising of sheep and goats. Navajo families process the wool and
sell it for cash, or spin it into yarn and weave blankets and rugs for
sale. The Navajo are also noted for their skill in creating turquoise
and silver jewelry. Navajo artists have other traditional arts, such
as sand painting, sculpture, and pottery.
The Navajo Nation has created a mixture of industry and business

that has provided the Navajo with alternative opportunities to Number of sheep (Dibé) present on
traditional occupations. The Nation's median cash household the Navajo Nation
income is around $20,000 per year. However, using federal
standards, unemployment levels fluctuate between 40 and 45%.
About 40% of families live below the federal poverty rate.[110]
Economic development within the Navajo Nation has fluctuated

over its history but has largely remained limited. One obstacle to
investment has been the incompatibility of its two land
management systems. Tribal lands are held in common and leased
to individuals for specific purposes, such as home construction or
for livestock grazing. Financial institutions outside of tribal lands
require assets, including land, to be used as collateral when Sheep remain an important aspect
of Navajo culture and economy.
potential borrowers seek capital. Since individuals do not own the
land outright, financial institutions have little recourse if
borrowers default on their loans. Additionally, the wide-ranging
bureaucracy involving elements of the U.S. Department of Interior, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and
the tribal government has created a complex network that is cumbersome and time-consuming for
investors and businesses to navigate.
Self-employed Navajo workers and Navajo entrepreneurs are often involved in the grey economy. For
instance, artisans staff roadside shops and cater to American and international tourists, travelers
passing through Navajo Nation, and to the Navajo people themselves. Other Navajo workers find
employment in the nearby cities and towns of Page, Arizona; Flagstaff, Arizona; Farmington, New
Mexico; Gallup, New Mexico; Cortez, Colorado; and other towns along the I-40 corridor. Commute
times vary for these workers. Because of the remoteness of some Navajo communities, they can last
up to several hours. Economic push-pull factors have led a sizeable portion of the workforce to
temporarily or permanently relocate to these border towns or to large metropolitan areas further
away, such as Phoenix, Arizona; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Los Angeles, California; Chicago, Illinois;
Denver, Colorado; and Salt Lake City, Utah. With nearly half of all Navajo tribal members living off
the reservation, it is more difficult for the tribe to build social capital there and to draw from those
people's talents.
Navajo college students and graduates studying at universities in cities and towns outside the
reservation may elect to stay there rather than relocate to the Navajo Nation because of the relative
abundance of employment opportunities, connections with other classmates, and higher quality of
life. This phenomenon contributes to human capital flight or "the brain drain", where highly skilled or
highly educated individuals are attracted or pushed to a location with different or more economic
opportunities. They are not incorporated into the community and local economy of origin.
The tribe has grown peaches (Prunus persica) since the 1700s.[111] In the late 1800s the Bureau of
Indian Affairs began to discourage traditional methods of peach growing.[111] Wytsalucy (2019)
genotyped some of the trees and distinguished them from those grown elsewhere.[111] Wytsalucy’s
analysis illuminates the different course that Navajo breeding of peach has taken from peach breeding
elsewhere.[111]
Natural resources
Mining – especially of coal and uranium – provided significant income to both the Navajo Nation and
individual Navajos in the second half of the 20th century.[112] Many of these mines have closed. But in
the early 21st century, mining still provides significant revenues to the tribe in terms of leases (51% of
all tribal income in 2003).[113] Navajos are among the 1,000 people employed in mining.[114]
Coal
The volume of coal mined on the Navajo Nation land has declined in the early 21st century.
Peabody Energy's Black Mesa coal mine, a controversial strip mine, was shut down in December 2005
because of its adverse environmental impacts. It lost an appeal in January 2010 to reopen.[115]
The Black Mesa mine fed the 1.5 GW Mohave Power Station at Laughlin, Nevada, via a slurry pipeline
that used water from the Black Mesa aquifer. The nearby Kayenta Mine used the Black Mesa & Lake
Powell Railroad to move coal to the former Navajo Generating Station (2.2 GW) at Page, Arizona. The
Kayenta mine provided the majority of leased revenues for the tribe. The Kayenta mine also provided
wages to those Navajo who were among its 400 employees.[116]
The Chevron Corporation's P&M McKinley Mine was the first large-scale, surface coal mine in New
Mexico when it opened in 1961. It closed in January 2010.[117]
The Navajo Mine opened in 1963 near Fruitland, New Mexico, and employs about 350 people. It
supplies sub-bituminous coal to the 2 GW Four Corners Power Plant via the isolated 13-mile Navajo
Mine Railroad.[118] Parts of the Navajo Nation, through the Navajo Transitional Energy Company,
acquired the mine and three mines in Montana and Wyoming.[119][120]
Uranium
The uranium market, which was active during and after the Second World War, slowed near the end
of that period. The Navajo Nation has suffered considerable environmental contamination and health
effects as a result of poor regulation of uranium mining in that period. As of 2005, the Navajo Nation
has prohibited uranium mining altogether within its borders.
Oil and natural gas
There are developed and potential oil and gas fields on the Navajo Nation. The oldest and largest
group of fields is in the Paradox Basin in the Four Corners area. Most of these fields are located in the
Aneth Extension in Utah, but there are a few wells in Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona. The first
well was drilled in the Aneth Extension in 1956. In 2006 the Paradox Basin fields were injected with
water and carbon dioxide to increase declining production.[121] There are also wells in the
Checkerboard area in New Mexico that are on leased land owned by individual Navajo.
The selling of leases and oil royalties have changed over the years. The Aneth Extension was created
from Public Domain lands as part of a 1933 exchange with the federal government for lands flooded
by Lake Powell. Congress appointed Utah as trustee on behalf of Navajos living in San Juan County,
Utah for any potential revenues that came from natural resources in the area. Utah initially created a
3-person committee to make leases, receive royalties and improve the living conditions for Utah
Navajo. As the revenues and resulting expenditures increased, Utah created the 12-member Navajo
Commission to do the operational work. The Navajo Nation and Bureau of Indian Affairs are also
involved.[122]
Several Navajo organizations deal with oil and gas. The Utah Diné Corporation is a nonprofit
organization established to take over from the Navajo Commission. The Navajo Nation Oil and Gas
Company owns and operates oil and natural gas interests, primarily in New Mexico, Colorado, and
Utah.[123] Federally incorporated, it is wholly owned by the Navajo Nation.[124]
Renewables
In early 2008, the Navajo Nation and Houston-based International Piping Products entered into an
agreement to monitor wind resources, with the potential to build a 500-megawatt wind farm some 50
miles (80 km) north of Flagstaff, Arizona. Known as the Navajo Wind Project, it is proposed as the
second commercial wind farm in Arizona after Iberdrola's Dry Lake Wind Power Project between
Holbrook and Overgaard-Heber. The project is to be built on Aubrey Cliffs in Coconino County,
Arizona.[125]
In December 2010, the President and Navajo Council approved a proposal by the Navajo Tribal Utility
Authority (NTUA), an enterprise of the Navajo Nation, and Edison Mission Energy to develop an 85-
megawatt wind project at Big Boquillas Ranch, which is owned by the Navajo Nation and is located 80
miles west of Flagstaff. The NTUA plans to develop this into a 200-megawatt capacity at peak. This
has been planned as the first majority-owned native project; NTUS was to own 51%. An estimated
300–350 people will construct the facility; it will have 10 permanent jobs.[125] In August 2011, the Salt
River Project, an Arizona utility, was announced as the first utility customer. Permitting and
negotiations involve tribal, federal, state and local stakeholders.[126] The project is intended not only
as a shift to renewable energy but to increase access for tribal members; an estimated 16,000 homes
are without access to electricity.[127]
The wind project has foundered because of a "long feud between Cameron [Chapter] and Window
Rock [central government] over which company to back".[128] Both companies pulled out.
Negotiations with Clipper Windpower looked promising, but that company was put up for sale after
the recession.[128]
Parks and attractions
Tourism is important to the Navajo Nation. Parks and attractions

within traditional Navajo lands include:
Shiprock Pinnacle (large volcanic remnants, elevation 7,178 ft,

located in New Mexico near Shiprock)
Navajo Mountain (mountain along Utah and Arizona border,
elevation 10,318 ft)
Chaco Canyon Narbona Pass Chuska Mountains
Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness
Canyon De Chelly National Monument
Navajo National Monument
Window Rock Tribal Park
Navajo Nation Museum
Navajo Nation Zoological and Botanical Park
Navajo Bridge
Kinlichee Ruins
Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site
Grand Falls
Narbona Pass
Navajo Tribal Parks
The Navajo Nation has four Tribal Parks, which bring tourists and Aerial view looking south
revenue to the Tribe.[129] across Arizona's Painted
Desert with part of the
Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park (on the Utah and Arizona border, Navajo Reservation in the
near the town of Kayenta, Arizona) foreground
Little Colorado River Gorge Navajo Tribal Park
Lake Powell Navajo Tribal Park – includes Antelope Canyon and
hiking trail to Rainbow Bridge National Monument
Four Corners Monument Navajo Tribal Park
Navajo Nation Parks & Recreation also operates Tseyi Heritage Cottonwood Campground at Canyon
de Chelly, Camp Asaayi at Bowl Canyon, and the Navajo Veterans Memorial Park.
Art and crafts
An important small business group on the Navajo Nation is

handmade arts and crafts industry, which markets both high- and
medium-end quality goods made by Navajo artisans, jewelers and
silversmiths. A 2004 study by the Navajo Division of Economic
Development found that at least 60% of all families have at least
one family member producing arts and crafts for the market.. A
Navajo Women by Andy survey conducted by the Arizona Hospitality Research & Resource
Tsihnahjinnie. Oil on fiberboard, Center reported that the Navajo nation made $20,428,039 from
1934
the art and crafts trade in 2011.[130]
Since the introduction of sheep into the New World, Navajos have
traditionally made use of either the vertical loom or the back strap loom (belt loom) to weave
yarns.[131] The early weaving practice was such that unprocessed wool was chiefly used to make
blankets and which still retained its lanolin and suint (sweat), and which could repel water, on the one
hand, but which left an unpleasant odor to the finished woolen product, on the other.[132] Today,
modern techniques have replaced the old, and wool is preprocessed and treated with an alkali
substance. By 1900, the weaving of traditional Navajo blankets had been replaced by rug-making.[133]
Diné Development Corp.
The Diné Development Corporation was formed in 2004 to promote Navajo business and seek viable
business development to make use of casino revenues.[134]
Media
Navajo Times
The Navajo Nation is served by various print media operations. The Navajo Times used to be
published as the Navajo Times Today. Created by the Navajo Nation Council in 1959, it has been
privatized. It continues to be the newspaper of record for the Navajo Nation. The Navajo Times is the
largest Native American-owned newspaper company in the United States.[135]
KTNN
Established as a Navajo Nation Enterprise in 1985, KTNN is a commercial radio station that provides
information and entertainment, and is located on AM 660.
Other newspapers
Other newsprint groups also serve the Navajo Nation. The media outlets include the Navajo/Hopi
Observer,[136] serving Navajo, Hopi and towns of Winslow and Flagstaff, and the Navajo Post, a web-
based with print outlet that serves urban Navajos from its offices at Tempe. Non-Navajo papers such
as the Gallup Independent also serve Navajo audiences.
Food
The Navajo Nation relied heavily on the natural world in order to obtain food. The tribe dates back to
the 1500s in which their principal food was maize, also known as corn.[137] People held religious
ceremonies to pray for successful /summer/ crops. It was and continues to be central in the arts,
culture, health and lifestyle of many American Indians.[138] Maize is a highly versatile food and was
eaten at almost every meal by The Navajo tribe. Large quantities were eaten fresh during the summer.
It was eaten raw from the stalk, roasted in the coals of a fire or baked into soups and breads.[139]
Excess corn was dried on the stalk or picked and hung to dry in the sun. Dried corn was ground into
cornmeal and added to soups or baked into tortillas and tamales.[139] Some tribes stored enough
dried corn to feed the community through two crop-less years.
The Navajo Nation occupied the southwestern part of the United States; therefore, they consumed
foods that were native to the land. These foods consisted of mostly wild plants including yucca,
pumpkins, wild onions, wild potatoes, prickly pear, grapes, raspberries, and rose.[140] In addition,
parties of women gathered an assortment of nuts each year including acorns, pinyon nuts, and
walnuts.[140] One of the most notable cultural foods in the Navajo tribe is fry-bread. The Navajo were
forced by the United States government to walk from their land in Arizona to Bosque Redondo in New
Mexico in the mid-1800s.[141] This walk was over 300 miles and left many Navajo members dead.
While residing in Bosque Redondo, the government gave the Navajo flour, salt, water, lard, sugar,
powdered milk, and baking powder to use in cooking. The Navajo people created fry-bread out of
those ingredients and it has since been a staple food within the Navajo culture.[141] It symbolizes
perseverance and strength.
See also
Navajo people
Flag of the Navajo Nation
Navajo National Monument
Navajo trading posts
List of Navajo Nation Scenic Byways
Speaker of the Navajo Nation Council
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136. "Navajo-Hopi Observer – Navajo & Hopi Nations, AZ" (https://www.nhonews.com). Nhonews.com.
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141. "National Homemade Bread Day and the History of Frybread" (http://blog.nativepartnership.org/na
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External links
Official website (https://www.navajo-nsn.gov/)
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5/1/23, 11:38 AM Navajo Nation - Wikipedia

Coordinates: 36°11′13″N 109°34′25″W

The Navajo Nation (Navajo: Naabeehó Diné Biyaad), also

Terminology Location of the Navajo Nation.

terms are employed. In 2017, the Navajo Nation Council Tónaneezdizí

Reservation and expansion

In the mid-19th century, primarily in the 1860s, most of

The borders were defined as the 37th parallel in the

As drafted in 1868, the boundaries were defined as:

the following district of country, to wit:

As no physical boundaries or signposts were set in place, many Navajo

Rejection of Indian Reorganization Act

Navajo Nation and federal government jurisdictions

The US Supreme Court in United States v. Kagama (1889)

In 2006, a committee for a "Navajo Constitution" began

In 1927, agents of the U.S. federal government initiated a new

By 1933, more than 100 chapters operated across the Navajo

Agencies and chapters

Departments and divisions

Notable Navajo politicians

Navajo Nation presidential election, 2015

Adjacent to or near the Navajo Nation are the Southern

communities ended with "The Bennett Freeze"

Situated on the Navajo Nation are Canyon de Chelly

Daylight saving time

Continued education, and retention of Navajo students in school are

The Navajo Nation operates Tséhootsooí Diné Bi'ólta', a Navajo-language

Primary and secondary education

Navajo Preparatory School, Inc.

Diné College – Tsaile campus

The Navajo Nation operates Diné College, a two-year tribal

Center for Diné Studies

Navajo Technical University (NTU)

Environmental and health concerns

Severe combined immunodeficiency

The Navajo Nation has created a mixture of industry and business

Economic development within the Navajo Nation has fluctuated

Oil and natural gas

Parks and attractions

Tourism is important to the Navajo Nation. Parks and attractions

Shiprock Pinnacle (large volcanic remnants, elevation 7,178 ft,

Navajo Tribal Parks

Art and crafts

An important small business group on the Navajo Nation is

Diné Development Corp.

44. David E. Wilkins, The Navajo Political Experience, 1999, Chapter 9.

60. "Navajo Post Newspaper" (https://web.archive.org/web/20150105213501/http://www.navajopost.o

76. "Climate and Biota" (https://serc.carleton.edu/research_education/nativelands/navajo/climateandb

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Navajo_Nation&oldid=1151469765"

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