Nestled in the foothills of the Chuska Mountains along U.S. Highway 491, Naschitti is a proud Navajo community located 43 miles north of Gallup and 52 miles south of Shiprock, New Mexico.

Our name originates from the Navajo word for “badger” “nahashchʼid.” According to local oral history, a badger uncovered an underground spring while digging for food or shelter. Early residents built a well at the site to supply fresh drinking water to the community. Over time, an artesian well was tapped and later replaced by a windmill that supplied water for both households and livestock. Today, that historic windmill structure still stands in the arroyo as a landmark of our resilience.

Naschitti’s modern institutions grew steadily throughout the twentieth century. With the permission of the Navajo Nation, the Naschitti Christian Reformed Church was established in 1922, followed by a Catholic mission in the early 1930s. In 1934, the Bureau of Indian Affairs built a local day school so families could remain closer to home. After that school closed, the Central Consolidated School District opened a public school in 1958. Following later renovations, the original building was replaced in 2015 by the modern Naschitti Elementary School we have today.

Continuing our commitment to progress and self-determination, the Naschitti Chapter officially transitioned to a commission-manager form of government in November 2014 to better serve our community members.