… was authorized on this date in 1931.
Reflecting one of the longest continuously inhabited landscapes of North America, the cultural resources of Canyon de Chelly–including distinctive architecture, artifacts, and rock imagery–exhibit remarkable preservational integrity that provides outstanding opportunities for study and contemplation. Canyon de Chelly also sustains a living community of Navajo people, who are connected to a landscape of great historical and spiritual significance–a landscape composed of places infused with collective memory.
Canyon de Chelly is unique among National Park service units, as it is comprised entirely of Navajo Tribal Trust Land that remains home to the canyon community. NPS works in partnership with the Navajo Nation to manage park resources and sustain the living Navajo community.