Naschitti Chapter

Our Story

Naschitti is located in a unique area along the U.S. 491, 43 miles north of Gallup and 52 miles south of Shiprock. The Naschitti Community was founded and established in 1893. The name originates from a badger that was digging for shelter or for food, but instead dug up water. Early settlers made a well out of the badger’s discovery which provided drinking water for years. An artesian well was later tapped, but was soon replaced by a windmill that provided domestic and livestock water. The windmill still stands in the arroyo behind the present trading post. The first trading post was built around 1915 about one half mile south of the present store. Around 1922, the Christian Reform Church, with permission of the Navajo Tribe, established a church in Naschitti. In the early 1930’s the Catholic Church also established a mission in the community as well. In 1934, the Bureau of Indian Affairs built a day school; bring more families to live closer to Naschitti. The community saw a continued need for education, so when the day school closed in 1958, the San Juan County School built a public school in the community. Later, a gymnasium and cafeteria were added to the School. As the years passed, in 2015, the entire Naschitti Elementary was replaced with a brand new school.

On November 22, 2014, Naschitti Chapter transitioned to a Commission-based Government.