Navajo Nation - Window Rock

Consisting of 27,000 square miles in the states of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, the Navajo Nation, geographically, is the largest Native American reservation in the U.S. The area of the reservation is greater that that of the states of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont combined. The Navajo Nation claims approximately 298,000 enrolled members; it is the second largest tribe in population; over 173,000 Navajos live on the reservation. The population has increased 3.5 times from the 50,000 people who resided on the reservation in 1940. Most homes do not have electricity, running water, or telephones. The Navajo Nation has no urban centers, and most roads remained unpaved. According to the 2000 census 298,215 persons declared Navajo ancestry or tribal affiliation. An individual must be at least one-quarter Navajo in order to be an enrolled tribal member, according to Navajo law. The Navajo Nation is divided into 110 Chapters (analogous to counties), grouped into five Agencies (Tribal administrative districts). Kayenta is the only incorporated township. Most population centers are clusters of housing around schools, hospitals, trading posts, and chapter houses.