It is amazing to discover the vast boundaries of the Navajo Nation. The largest tribe in the U.S. still occupies some 26,000 square miles sprawling across parts of three states – northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and southern Utah.
Not that it is the most fertile or inviting terrain. The high desert is a rocky, dusty, windswept place where farming seldom yields real abundance. Sheep and goats graze in these parts, and the Navajo are renowned for traditional domestic skills they have passed down through the generations, rug weaving, and basket making chief among them.
However, those stark and wondrous rock ledges also hold an incredible amount of history. Canyon de Chelly, near Chinle on the Arizona side of the reservation was once home to the Anasazi or “ancient ones.” As far back as 350 A.D., these industrious people built their villages directly into the red rock walls that rise up from the canyon floor. The ruins are still visible, though the builders vanished mysteriously nearly 700 years ago.
Further north toward the Arizona-Utah border, the familiar spires of Monument Valley reach skyward. Cinema buffs will instantly recognize them from classic Westerns like “Stagecoach” and “The Searchers.” It is an easy, meandering drive through the park with various photo opportunities sprinkled around the valley. In some places, Navajo artists sell turquoise and other wares at prices well below the going city rate.
Despite the reservation’s massive acreage, there are few towns of any substantial size in the Navajo Nation. Window Rock, Arizona, near the New Mexico border, serves as the capital. The tribal government that is seated there is known for aggressively negotiating millions in royalty fees for rights to the oil, gas, uranium and other valuable elements that lay beneath the sandy soil.
Window Rock is the site of numerous American-Indian rodeos and intertribal pow-wows in the country, colorful visitor-friendly events where the joys of food and traditional dance take center stage. None is bigger than the five-day Navajo Nation Fair held every year in early September.
In Window Rock, you can also find tributes to the Navajo code-talkers of World War II – Native American soldiers chosen to convey top-secret information. Their effectiveness in using the Navajo language to keep German intelligence from breaking the code was celebrated in the 2002 movie, “Wind Talkers.”
With so many miles of open space, the reservation also encompasses other venerable attractions like the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert, which lure traffic off I-40. On its far northern edge, the recreational opportunities afforded by Lake Powell add yet another astonishing jewel to the tribe’s inventory.
A final note: Cameras are usually unwelcome at dances and other sacred activities. However, even snapping a quick shot of a tribal member working or playing outside can be a point of contention. Always ask first, and do not be surprised if a fee is suggested.
To learn more about Navajo culture and the best places to explore, please visit the Navajo Nation page at the American West website.