Ethnos

Navajo/Diné

Navajo is a popular English language term (derived from Spanish), that refers to Diné members of the Navajo Nation and to their language.

Navajo Nation is the name of a sovereign Native American nation established by the Diné. The Navajo Nation Reservation, which includes about 27,000 acres (approx. 11,000 hectares) of land also considered to be part of three states, is the largest land area assigned primarily to a Native American jurisdiction within the United States of America. The 2000 census reported 253,000 Navajo members, of whom 131,166 resided in Arizona and 17,512 lived in Maricopa County, which includes the city of Phoenix.

The Nation's boundaries abut the Ute Nation at the Four Corners Monument landmark and stretch across the Colorado Plateau into Arizona, Utah and New Mexico. Canyon De Chelly National Monument, Monument Valley, Rainbow Bridge National Monument, the Hopi Indian Reservation and the Shiprock landmark are located within the Navajo Nation. The reservation land area is about the size of Rhode Island. The seat of government is located at the town of Window Rock, Arizona. See also: Official Website of the Navajo Nation ***