Navajo Places
History, Legend, Landscape

Laurance D. Linford

7 x 10, 353 pp.
5 illustrations
Paper $24.95
978-0-87480-624-3
Native America

Navajoland is the heart and soul of the American Southwest. While the Navajo Reservation incorporates portions of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, this is only about half the traditional homeland of 220,000 Diné, the People. In one way or another, nearly all of it, including the original homeland, is sacred to them. Before Spaniards and Americans affixed their own names to the land, every topographic feature had at least one Navajo name. Many of these made their way onto maps—in various forms—or are still in use among Navajo speakers.

Navajo Places is the most ambitious attempt yet to preserve this rich legacy. Through years of research, interviews, and consultation with Navajo authorities, Laurance Linford has compiled a place-name guide that goes beyond reservation boundaries to include the entirety of the traditional Navajo homeland. The volume contains over 1,200 entries, plus a pronunciation guide and sections on Navajo history and the relation of ritual and sacred legend to landscape.

An invaluable resource for anyone interested in the Four Corners region.

From the Book
San Francisco Peaks: 6000'- 12,633', Coconino County, AZ. Navajo: Dook'o'oslííd, "Never Thaws on Top.” Sacred Navajo name: Diichlí Dziil, "Abalone Shell Mountain" Hopi: Nuvatekia¬qui, "Place of Snow on the Very Top." Havasupan: Hvehasahpatch, "Big Rock Mountain.” Another Navajo name is Dzil Ghá'nilts'i_i_lii, "Faultless Mountain.” This cluster of volcanic mountains north of Flagstaff, AZ, comprise the tallest peaks in the state. The three main peaks are Humphreys Peak (12,633), Agassiz Peak (12,340), and Fremont Peak (11,940 feet). These mountains may have been more than 15,000 feet high before they collapsed into an empty magma chamber 500,000 years ago.

The peaks comprise the Navajo sacred mountain of the west, believed by traditional Navajos to mark the tribe's rightful western boundary. According to Navajo creation mythology, First Man adorned them with diichi/lí (abalone shell), Yellow Clouds, Male Rain, and all animals, and fastened them to the sky with sunbeams. They are also the home of Haashch'éélti'í (Talking God), Naadá_'álga¬ii Ashkii (White Corn Boy) and Naadá_'áltsoii 'At'ééd (Yellow Corn Girl). Their symbolic color is yellow.

Aneth: 4550', San Juan County, UT. Navajo: T'áá Bíích'_í_ídii, "One Who Barely Gets Along," referring to the early trader who was so feeble he appeared barely able to take another step. Located on UT Highway 262, at the juncture of McElmo Creek and the San Juan River in extreme southeastern Utah. Founded in the early 1880s, the community was named Holyoak (after an early settler) in 1886. After 1900, it was called Anseth, after the local trader, and then changed to Aneth.

Laurance Linford was trained as an archaeologist. Formerly executive director of the Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial Association in Gallup, NM, he is now an administrator for the Gallup-McKinley County Public Schools.

Praises and Reviews
"A wonderful piece of work."
- Tony Hillerman