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Window Rock (Tségháhoodzání), Arizona

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Location: Window Rock, Apache, Arizona, United Statesmap
Surnames/tags: One_Place_Studies Arizona Navajo
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Window Rock, Arizona
One Place Study

This profile is part of the Window Rock, Arizona One Place Study.

Window Rock, known in Navajo as Tségháhoodzání (pronounced [tsʰéɰáhòːtsání] which translates as "Perforated Rock"), is a census-designated place (CDP) that serves as the seat of government and capital of the Navajo Nation, the largest sovereign Native American nation in North America. The Navajo Nation extends into the states of Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico, covering over 27,000 square miles of rugged, semi-arid territory of unparalleled beauty. Diné Bikéyah, or Navajoland, is larger than 10 of the 50 states in America.

Geography

Continent: North America
Country: United States
State/Province: Arizona
County: Apache
GPS Coordinates: 35.670556, -109.063889
Elevation: 6,765 ft (2,062 m)

The greater Window Rock area comprises the Fort Defiance and St. Michaels chapters, and the hamlets of Hunter's Point and the Summit in Arizona, and Tse Bonito on the New Mexico side of the border.

History

The U.S. gained ownership of what is today Navajoland in 1848 following the Mexican-American War. The traditional homeland of Diné ("the People", the Navajo People), or Dinétah, is located in the area among the four sacred Navajo mountains of Dookʼoʼoosłííd (San Francisco Peaks), Dibé Ntsaa (Hesperus Mountain), Sisnaajiní (Blanca Peak), and Tsoodził (Mount Taylor). The Navajo Indian Reservation was first established within New Mexico Territory by Article II of the 1868 Treaty of Bosque Redondo. Initially spanning some 3.3 million acres, when Arizona and New Mexico became states in 1912 it straddled the Arizona–New Mexico border. Unlike many reservations, it has expanded several times since its formation, reaching its current boundaries in 1934.

The discovery of oil in the early 1920s promoted the need for a more systematic form of governance, and the tribal government was established in 1923. The Window Rock area was sparsely populated and known by its Navajo ceremonial name Niʼ Ałníiʼgi ("Center of the World"). It was one of the four places where Navajo medicine men go with their traditional woven water jugs to get water for the traditional Navajo Water Way Ceremony (Tóee).

Through the Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) of 1934, the federal government encouraged tribes to revive governments according to constitutional models. In 1936, Commissioner of Indian Affairs John Collier chose Window Rock as the site for the Navajo Central Agency, which had earlier been administered by Indian Agents (later the Bureau of Indian Affairs or B.I.A.) in nearby Fort Defiance, Arizona, 7 miles away. Since then, the Navajo government at Window Rock has evolved into the largest and most sophisticated form of American Indian government, with executive, legislative, and Judicial branches.

Navajo Tribal Council Building.

The Navajo Nation Government campus at Window Rock contains the Navajo Nation Council Chamber, Navajo Nation Supreme Court, the offices of the Navajo Nation President and Vice President, and Navajo government administration buildings including the Navajo Nation Police Department. Window Rock is also home to the Navajo Nation Museum, the Navajo Nation Library, the Navajo Nation Zoological and Botanical Park, the WWII Navajo Code Talker Memorial, the Window Rock Airport (RQE), and the Navajo Nation Fairgrounds.

Formerly based in Window Rock, the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs (B.I.A.) now served the Navajo Nation from the Navajo Regional Office in Gallup, New Mexico, and five subordinate Agencies: Chinle Agency, Eastern Navajo Agency, Fort Defiance Agency, Shiprock Agency, and Western Navajo Agency.

Navajo Nation Museum and Library.
65th Navajo Nation Fair Parade.

Private businesses in Window Rock include but are not limited to:[1]

  • Navajo Times Publishing Co (publishes Navajo Times daily newspaper)
  • Quality Inn Navajo Nation
  • Navajo Arts and Crafts Enterprise
  • Navajo Nation Shopping Center Enterprise
  • Diné Bashas' (regional shopping center)
WWII Navajo Codetalker Monument.
WWII Navajo Codetalker Plaque.
  • Shop-n-Save Lowe's Market (regional shopping center)
  • Various restaurants and chains including Mcdonald's, Domino's, Subway, Taco Bell, etc.
  • Ch'ihootso Indian Market Place
  • Window Rock Wellness Center
  • Silver Creek Mortuary
  • CellularOne
  • Navajo United Way
  • H&R Block

Population

Window Rock aerial view

As of the census of 2000, there were 3,059 people, 876 households, and 713 families residing in the census-designated place (CDP).[2] By 2020, the permanent population had declined to 2,500 people, 845 households, and 720 families. The decline can be partially explained by the regionalization of some governmental services. 88.7% had high school degrees or above, with 31.9% having a tertiary qualification.[3]

The local population is estimated to reach around 20,000 during weekdays when tribal offices are open. When the Navajo Nation Fair is in session, the population increases to an estimated 50% of the Navajo population, or some 200,000 people.

Notables

These few profiles can only try to be representative of the largest Native American Nation in the U.S.A. with its centuries-long history. For example, over 400 men honorably served as USMC Codetalkers in WWII, with 29 in the first intake alone. Excellent (but not comprehensive) lists of notable Navajos can be found at Encyclopedia.com[4] and/or the World Culture Encyclopedia[5].

Sources

  1. Neither WikiTree nor the author assumes any responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of this list. The information contained in this list does not constitute a recommendation or judgment in any form and is provided on an "as is" basis with no guarantees of completeness, accuracy, usefulness, or timeliness.
  2. "U.S. Census, 2000, Window Rock CDP, Arizona", United States Census Bureau, data.census.go, Window Rock CDP, Arizona, downloaded 31 January 2008 per Wikipedia:Window_Rock,_Arizona.
  3. "U.S. Census, 2020, Window Rock CDP, Arizona", United States Census Bureau, data.census.go, Window Rock CDP, Arizona, downloaded 1 January 2024.
  4. Birchfield, D.J. (8 May 2018). "Navajos", Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Dec. 2023 <https://www.encyclopedia.com>, downloaded 8 January 2024.
  5. Birchfield, D.J. (undated). "Navajos", article in World Culture Encyclopedia. "Everyculture.com". <https://www.everyculture.com>, Forum, Countries and Their Cultures > Multicultural America > Le-Pa > Navajos, downloaded 8 January 2024.
  6. See also the Ned A. Hatathli Cultural Center Museum at Diné College, Tsaile, Arizona.

See also:





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