Canyon de Chelly is one of the most visited national monuments in the United States. These canyons were cut by streams with headwaters in the Chuska Mountains just to the east of the monument. The monument covers 83,840 acres (131 sq mi 339 sq km) and encompasses the floors and rims of the three major canyons: de Chelly, del Muerto, and Monument. Reflecting one of the longest continuously inhabited landscapes of North America, it preserves ruins of the indigenous tribes that lived in the area, from the Ancestral Puebloans (formerly known as Anasazi) to the Navajo. Located in northeastern Arizona, it is within the boundaries of the Navajo Nation and lies in the Four Corners region. The resulting demoralization led to the surrender of the Navajos and their removal to Bosque Redondo, New Mexico.Ĭanyon de Chelly National Monument (/dəˈʃeɪ/ də-SHAY) was established on April 1, 1931, as a unit of the National Park Service. Kit Carson sent troops through the canyon, killing 23 Indians, seizing 200 sheep, and destroying hogans, as well as peach orchards and other crops.
Canyon de Chelly long served as a home for Navajo people before it was invaded by forces led by future New Mexico governor Lt.
