The Navajo Nation is the largest of all the Native American Reservations in the United States
Today, the Navajo Nation spans more than 27,000 square miles, making it the largest Native American reservation in the country. Navajo lands span the states of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah in an area approximately the size of West Virginia. Additionally, the reservation has a population of about 250,000 people, comparable to the cities of St. Petersburg, FL & Jersey City, NJ.
Despite living on one of the largest Native American reservations in the United States, many in the Navajo community continue to grapple with the stark truth that their present territory is merely a small portion of the vast expanses they historically governed.
After the Mexican-American War ended in 1848, the United States government claimed control of Navajo ancestral lands. Years of tension and fighting between Navajo groups and the U.S. Army followed.
Then, in 1864, U.S. forces under the command of Major General James H. Carleton, guided by renowned mountain man Kit Carlson, launched a full-scale assault against the Navajo people. Ultimately, these actions would lead to what is today known as “The Long Walk,” the forced relocation of thousands of Navajo people in eastern Arizona and western New Mexico to Bosque Redondo, an internment camp in Fort Sumner, NM. After 4 years of imprisonment, famine, and misery, Navajo leaders signed the 1868 Treaty. This is one of the few instances where the U.S. government permitted a tribe to return to their traditional homeland.
In the aftermath of the tragic Long Walk and internment at Bosque Redondo, the previously fragmented Navajo tribe resolved to strengthen their identity as one Diné (Navajo) people. By uniting their sprawling territories, the Navajo people formed one of the largest Native American reservations in the United States today.
The Navajo Nation lies in one of the driest regions in the U.S., and water scarcity is a daily reality. Despite an 1868 treaty, the U.S. government failed to secure water rights for the Navajo people. Today, they face severe limitations as states fight over access to Colorado River water—leaving the Navajo community on the margins of crucial decisions.
When factoring in historically dwindling land resources, current water scarcity issues exacerbated by climate change and human water consumption, plus systemic poverty, it’s very clear to see why food insecurity is a massive issue on Native American reservations. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 1 in 5 Native Americans are food insecure.
About 1 in 3 Native Americans live in poverty, with a median household income of just $23,000 per year. Jobs are hard to come by on many reservations, and unemployment remains high. In fact, Native unemployment has consistently been twice the national average since the government began tracking it separately.
St. Bonaventure Indian School is a tuition-free school serving 100+ PreK-8th Grade Diné students living in the area. Furthermore, a majority of these students live at, near, or below the poverty line. By respecting Navajo and traditional ways, educators in this Christ-centered environment bring the lessons of each world to the Navajo students for success in both.
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For over 20 years, St. Bonaventure Indian Mission has delivered clean water to homes across the Eastern Navajo Reservation. Our trucks have traveled nearly two million miles to reach families in need. In partnership with Dig Deep, we’re now helping households switch from 55-gallon barrels to 1,200-gallon cisterns, so water lasts longer between deliveries.
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Each year, St. Bonaventure delivers over 6,000 meals and vital supplies—such as clothes, care items, heaters, and wheelchairs—to remote areas of the Eastern Navajo Reservation. Due to poor road conditions, our team uses 4-wheel drive vehicles to safely reach families year-round, ensuring no one is left without help when they need it most.
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