The Navajo Nation: Largest U.S. Tribe, Spanning Four Corners

The Navajo Nation (Diné Bikéyah) is the largest federally recognized tribe by land area and enrolled population (~400,000). Its reservation spans the Four Corners region:

• Arizona (northeast) – Window Rock (capital), Chinle, Kayenta
• New Mexico (northwest) – Shiprock, Crownpoint, Tohatchi
• Utah (southeast) – Aneth, Montezuma Creek
• Colorado – Small parcel near Four Corners Monument

Key Facts

• Land area: 27,425 sq mi (71,000 km²) — larger than 10 U.S. states (WV, MD, HI, MA, VT, NH, NJ, CT, DE, RI)
• Government: Three-branch (Executive: President/VP; Legislative: 24 Council Delegates; Judicial: Supreme/District Courts)
• Economy: Coal, oil, gas, uranium, tourism (Monument Valley, Antelope Canyon), crafts, gaming (Twin Arrows)
• Language: Diné Bizaad (Athabaskan); ~170K speakers; immersion schools
• Culture: Matrilineal clans (k'é), hogans, weaving, silversmithing, Blessing Way

New Mexico Presence

The NM portion (Eastern Agency) includes the sacred Shiprock (Tsé Bit'a'í), Chaco Culture outliers, and major communities. The Navajo Nation operates its own police, courts, schools, health system (Navajo Area IHS), and utility (NTUA).

Sovereignty: Nation-to-nation relationship with U.S.; treaty rights (1868 Treaty of Bosque Redondo) affirmed return from Hwéeldi (Fort Sumner exile).