Kayenta Arizona
Kayenta is part of Navajo Nation and is located in Navajo County, Arizona. Its community name was derived from an Indian term that means “pits where the animals fall in.” It is the gateway to Monument Valley and is on the road to Lake Powell, Grand Canyon, Canyon DeChelly and Mesa Verde. A group of Quaker families first settled at the area in 1909. Establishing this settlement was important at the time since a cross-road was needed to serve as a commerce center to enable traveling across the isolated northern parts of the Navajo reservation. Kayenta was named by John and Louise Wade Wetherill in 1910. They established a trading post in the area.
The township of Kayenta is the only incorporated municipality in the Navajo Nation. The area is managed by a five-member elected town board who also hires the township manager. Not to be confused, Kayenta is the name of the Chapter as well as the township. The Kayenta Chapter is a political division within the Navajo Nation that is analogous to a county within a state.
Today, Kayenta Township has a total population of 4,922 at the 2000 census. It has a number of hotels and motels which serves visitors to the valley and it is illegal to serve alcohol in the area like all other places in Navajo Nation.
