Kayenta ( meaning "Fingers of Water" because of how water runs down the rocks when it rains) is a U.S. town which is part of the Navajo Nation and is in Navajo County,

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

, United States. Established November 13, 1986, the Kayenta Township is unique in currently being the only "township" existing under the laws of the Navajo Nation. The population was 5,189 at the 2010 census. Kayenta is located south of Monument Valley and contains a number of hotels and motels which serve visitors to Monument Valley. Like other places on the

Navajo Nation The Navajo Nation (), also known as Navajoland, is an Indian reservation of Navajo people in the United States. It occupies portions of northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and southeastern Utah. The seat of government is located in ...

, it is illegal to serve alcohol. Arizona does not observe Daylight Time; however, the Navajo Nation does. Kayenta Township is the only municipal-style government on the Navajo Nation. It is regarded as a political sub-division of the Navajo Nation. It is managed by a five-member elected town board, which hires the township manager. Kayenta is the name for the Chapter, as well as the township. Kayenta Chapter (a political division within the Navajo Nation that is analogous to a county within a state) encompasses land in both

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

and Arizona. Thus, the Navajo Nation's census figures for Kayenta Chapter are significantly different from those of Kayenta proper.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the CDP has a total area of , all land.

Climate

According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Kayenta has a

semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of se ...

, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 5,189 people. The population density was with a total of 1,375 housing units. The racial makeup of the CDP was 92.3% Native American, 4.6%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.2%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.2% Asian, <0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.3% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. 2.0% of the population were

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 38.9% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 11.9% from 25 to 34, 33.2% from 35 to 64, and 4.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.7 males.

Events

The Kayenta Fourth of July Rodeo is an annual multi-day event taking place from July 1–4. Various events take place daily, while the "Best of the Best" and a fireworks show take place on the fourth. The Kayenta Fourth of July Rodeo has been recognized six times as the Rodeo of the Year and twice as the Outstanding Rodeo by the All Indian Rodeo Cowboys Association, making it one of the premier rodeos to attend in the Southwest.

Education

Kayenta is served by the Kayenta Unified School District. The Kayenta Unified School District operates several schools serving the communities of Kayenta, Chilchinbeto, Dennehotso, and Shonto. These include Debbie Braff Elementary School (formerly Kayenta Intermediate School and Kayenta Elementary School), Baker Middle School (formerly Kayenta Middle School), Monument Valley High School, and the ABC Preschool (formerly Kayenta Primary School). Recent decisions to rename some schools have been made to honor specific individuals from the community. While the school board has cited community support for these changes, some public discussion and debate continue. The Kayenta Unified School District #27 is governed by a five-member board of trustees elected by popular vote. The Governing Board consists of a President, Board Clerk, and three members operating within the laws of the Arizona State Legislature, rules and regulations of the Arizona State Board of Education and Navajo County Superintendent of Schools to sets policies for management of the school district. Iverna Parrish-John is the President of the governing board for the Kayenta Unified School District. Kayenta Community School, a

K-8 school K8 or K-8 may refer to: * K-8 (Kansas highway), two highways in Kansas, one in northern Kansas, one in southern Kansas * K-8 school, a type of school that includes kindergarten and grades one through eight * K8 telephone box, designed by Bruce M ...

operated by the

Bureau of Indian Education The Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) is a division of the U.S. Department of the Interior under the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs that directs and manages education functions. Formerly known as the Office of Indian Education Programs ...

, This facility, also known as Kayenta Boarding School, is a boarding school serving both day and dormitory students.

Community

Local facilities

Kayenta has a large recreation center dedicated to serving the local community. Just outside the Recreation Center is a skating park, as well as an outdoor park with several playgrounds for children. On the east side of the community is a paved landing strip that can handle small single engine and twin engine aircraft used for air tours and air ambulance services.

Churches

Many religious organizations are represented in Kayenta. There are churches for

Baptists Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...

Presbyterian Church Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Christianity, Reformed Protestantism, Protestant tradition named for its form of ecclesiastical polity, church government by representative assemblies of Presbyterian polity#Elder, elders, known as ...

, Lamb of God Pentecostal Church, Potter's House Christian Church, Kayenta Church of Christ, The Living Word Assembly of God Church

Assemblies of God The World Assemblies of God Fellowship (WAGF), commonly known as the Assemblies of God (AG), is a global cooperative body or communion of over 170 Pentecostal denominations that was established on August 15, 1989. The WAGF was created to provi ...

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

(Our Lady of Guadalupe), a meetinghouse for

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...

, and a Kingdom Hall for

Jehovah's Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses is a Christian denomination that is an outgrowth of the Bible Student movement founded by Charles Taze Russell in the nineteenth century. The denomination is nontrinitarian, millenarian, and restorationist. Russell co-fou ...

. Also there is a Bible church located on the hill of Kayenta.

References

External links

Kayenta Chapter website

Navajo Nation website
{{authority control Census-designated places in Navajo County, Arizona Census-designated places in Arizona Populated places on the Navajo Nation Old Spanish Trail (trade route)