The Navajo Nation extends across three states, with land across Utah, Arizona and New Mexico , covering over 27,000 square miles of land. The population now surpasses 250,000.
The Navajo people are one of the Tribes with the most well-documented history, extending back to 1400AD with Athabaskan ancestors. The Tribe has retained a strong oral tradition, meaning lots of information, memories, and knowledge has been passed down between generations. The Navajo speak a Na-Dené Southern Athabaskan language, which they refer to as Diné bizaad.
In 1868, the Tribe signed a treaty with President Andrew Johnson which established the Navajo Indian Reservation, which was expanded multiple times until 1934.
During World War II, the Navajo language was used in battle to create a secret code to work against the Japanese. Navajo men helped to create codes and were enlisted to serve on the front line to deceive those on the other side of the battlefield. Today, these men are recognized as the famous Navajo Code Talkers, who represent the bravery of the Navajo people.
The Tribe would form the Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise (NNGE) in 2004 to manage its casino operations. At the time of writing, there are four properties owned by the Tribe; Fire Rock Navajo Casino, Flowing Water Navajo Casino, Northern Edge Navajo Casino and Twin Arrows Casino Resort.
The Navajo Nation formed a judicial branch in 1958, but this was changed to a three-part system in 1989. The president and vice-president are elected every four years. The Executive nominates judges of the District Courts and the Supreme Court. The Navajo Nation Council Chambers are made up of 88 council delegates representing 110 Navajo Nation chapters.
The Navajo Nation Gaming Regulatory Office was established in 2005 and operates within the Executive Branch of the Navajo Nation Government. This branch has overall civil regulatory authority over gaming activities within the Nation, including its four casino properties and travel plaza.
The Fire Rock Navajo Casino has over 1,100 slot machines, with denominations running up to $25. The table games include blackjack variants such as Player’s Edge 21; craps variants including Pass Line, Don’t Pass Line, Come, Don’t Come, Field, Place, Prop and Hardways; and roulette.
The casino also offers live entertainment, with music artists ranging from country to R&B.
The Flowing Water Navajo Casino has 160 slots on the property, but highlights its cafe which offers both American and authentic Navajo favorites.
The Northern Edge Navajo Casino has 750 slot machines with a progressive jackpot in play and denominations up to $25. The table games include Blackjack with 21+3, WPT Heads Up Hold’em, Craps, Roulette, Blackjack, Mini-Baccarat, Players Edge 21 and Pai Gow Poker.
The Twin Arrows Casino Resort has over 1,100 slot machines, with denominations up to $25. The table games include Blackjack with 21+3, WPT Heads Up Hold’em, High Card Flush, Pai Gow Poker, Live Roulette, Player’s Edge and Live Craps.
The casino also hosts a Hard Rock Sportsbook, which offers live betting on all major sports as well as golf, tennis and racing.
The hotel at Twin Arrows has guest rooms in three different styles, a fitness center and an indoor pool.
Parks and attractions: The Navajo lands extend across a large number of parks, including Shiprock Pinnacle, Navajo Mountain and Chaco Canyon. As such, the Navajo Nation can rely on quite a lot of tourism trade.
Crafts: The Navajo Nation specialises in wool crafts, such as yarn and woven rugs, as well as creating turquoise and silver jewellery.
Mining: A large number of natural resources are found within Navajo borders, including coal, uranium, natural oil and gas. In 2003, around 50% of all tribal income came from mining.
Hard Rock: Signed in January 2022, Hard Rock partnered with Navajo Nation to launch its sportsbook in the tribal casino locations.
Brian Parrish, NNGE Interim CEO said, "Mobile sports and event wagering is an important new offering that we're excited to introduce.
"The Hard Rock Sportsbook mobile sports wagering platform and our brick-and-mortar operations will offer a broad range of wagers, marketing promotions and cross-marketing offers that will be unique to the Navajo and Hard Rock brands."
