Window Rock

Window Rock, about an hour away from Chinle, is the Capitol of the Navajo Nation. The major administrative offices for the tribe are located there and the tribal council meets there regularly. The tribe has a president, not a chief, who serves a specified term. The tribe is self governing and pretty much controls daily affairs of the Navajo as do our federal, state, and local governments. Just as our goverment has its critics and supporters so does the Navajo Council.

Window Rock also has a tribal museum and a small tribal zoo. Although I did not quite qualify for the zoo I did go into the tribal museum which traces the history of Navajo. I learned who Chief Manuelito was and why he was important. (I currently live on Chief Manuelito Drive.) The Chief was born in the early part of the 19 th century and first fought the Spaniards who were taking Navajo as slaves and later the US goverment who were taking the Navajo land. He had many wives which was common among the Navajo of that time as they tried hard to keep everyone related to one another through the chiefs. Unfortunately, he was unable to prevent the "Long March" where many Navajo died on a forced walk hundreds of miles to central New Mexico. (more later about that)

I do recommend a stop in Window Rock if not only for the museum but also for the sandstone formation of Window Rock. The Navajo called it "hole in the rock" and soldiers used a term for the female anatomy but I like Window Rock just fine.