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Chinle, near the geographic center of the Navajo Indian Reservation in
northeastern Arizona| Arizona | (air-i'-ZON-u') | The State of Arizona comprises the extreme south-western portion of the United States. It is bounded on the north by Utah, on the east by New Mexico, on the south by Mexico, and on the west by California and Nevada. |
, is at the entrance to Canyon de Chelly National Monument.
Chinle became a center for population growth and trade after 1868 when
the United States signed a treaty with the Navajos. The first trading post
was established in 1882, the first mission in 1904, and the first government
school in 1910.
Canyon de Chelly, a geological and historical
wonder, is Chinle's greatest scenic attraction. The Canyon was a Navajo
stronghold during Colonel Kit Carson's Navajo Campaign and was designated
a National Monument in 1931. Evidence of Indian habitation as early as
2000 B.C. is found in artifacts and prehistoric cliff dwellings. As the
angle of the sun changes, the colors in the rock formations change from
brilliant red-browns to orange, pink, and even purple.
Thirty
miles south of Chinle lies Ganado, site of Arizona's most famous Indian
trading post, Hubbell's. In operation for nearly a century, it has been
designated a National Historic Site. At Hubbell's and other trading posts
on the reservation, the famed handcrafted Navajo silver jewelry and hand-woven
woolen rugs may be purchased.
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