The Navajo Nation Tribal Headquarters is among the older buildings on the campus
The Navajo Nation Council Chambers building
A statue honoring the Navajo Code Talkers has been added at the Window Rock park
The Navajo Nation was formed as part of the dedication of the lands in Four Corners area for the Navajo Tribe. In 1923, a tribal government was established to help the Navajo Tribe deal with the American oil companies seeking to lease Navajoland for exploration. Navajo government has evolved into the largest and most sophisticated form of American Indian government. The Navajo Nation Council Chambers hosts 88 council delegates representing 110 Navajo Nation chapters.
The Navajo Nation government has 88 Council delegates (representing 110 Navajo Nation chapters, or communities). Reorganized in 1991 to form a three-branch system (executive, legislative and judicial), the Navajos have a sophisticated form of Indian government.
If you travel much in the Navajo Reservation you will see many rural dwellings, some in poor repair, and you would get the feeling that the Navajo Nation is poor and unorganized. However, you would be wrong. The Navajos are highly organized, with the many divisions of government you would see in any US state. Division of Community Development, Division of Dine Education, Division of Economic Development, Environmental Protection Agency, Division of Public Safety, Division of General Services, Division of Health, Division of Human Resources, Division of Natural Resources, and Division of Social Services form the administrative branch of the government beyond the Office of Controller, Office of Tax Commission, Office of the President and Vice-President, Office of Telecommunication Regulatory Commission. This also gives you an idea of what the central government provides for its people.
As you travel around Window Rock you see a typical American city in many respects. Oh of course you see signs with Navajo words as well as English and the colors used on buildings are those of the southwest, but the name brands you see off the Reservation you also see on. We had lunch at McDonalds, next to a Wells Fargo Bank and a Basha's Market (Basha's is an Arizona brand). The people are dressed as you would see in any western small city, with boots, jeans, tee shirts most commonly seen. Once in a while you will see a person dressed in more Navajo styles, but these are usually the older folks.
The Navajo Nation is rich in resources - oil, gas, coal, and others - and have tried to manage those resources for the greater good of the Navajo people. The Navajos have resisted allowing casinos on Reservation lands until very recently, and that only in very limited areas where the draw will be to non-Navajos.
If you wanted to tour the Reservation to sample its culture you would have to travel far, for the Reservation covers more than 27,000 square miles. This makes it larger than ten of our 50 states. Its Chapters form the main community life for its residents; the Chapters are similar to towns. And, of course, there are a number of towns and cities as well. Window Rock, Kayenta, Tuba City, and Shiprock are among those. You would have to take a week or two to do justice to this exploration, but you would find a land of incredible beauty and a people of great variety. Elaine and I have sampled most parts of Navajo land and look forward to visiting even more.