Rio Puerco at east edge of Tohajiilee Indian Reservation

To’Hajiilee ( nv, Tó Hajiileehé, ), Cañoncito Band of Navajos is a non-contiguous section of the

Navajo Nation The Navajo Nation ( nv, Naabeehó Bináhásdzo), also known as Navajoland, is a Native Americans in the United States, Native American Indian reservation, reservation in the United States. It occupies portions of northeastern Arizona, northwe ...

lying in parts of western Bernalillo, eastern Cibola, and southwestern Sandoval counties in the U.S. state of

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex , Offi ...

, west of the city of

Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding i ...

. It is a Navajo phrase roughly translated in English as "Dipping Water." It was formed on the " Long Walk," during the forced relocation of Navajo tribal people, in 1864. Residents there claim that people who settled there, were considered (and still are, infrequently) a renegade band who refused to go further and settled in this part of New Mexico known as the checkerboard, where both Pueblo and Navajo people share the land and live to this day.

Description

It has a land area of 121.588 square miles (314.911 km²) and a 2000 census population of 1,649 people. The land area is only about 0.5% of the entire Navajo Nation's total. The name comes from the

Navajo The Navajo (; British English: Navaho; nv, Diné or ') are a Native Americans in the United States, Native American people of the Southwestern United States. With more than 399,494 enrolled tribal members , the Navajo Nation is the largest fe ...

phrase ''tó hajiileé'', meaning "where people draw up water by means of a cord or rope one quantity after another."

In popular culture

* The final scenes of '' The Ghostway'' novel by

Tony Hillerman Anthony Grove Hillerman (May 27, 1925 – October 26, 2008) was an American author of detective novels and nonfiction works, best known for his mystery novels featuring Navajo Nation Police officers Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee. Several of his work ...

, published in 1984, take place in Cañoncito Reservation. * Tohajiilee is a recurring location on the television series ''

Breaking Bad ''Breaking Bad'' is an American crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan. Set and filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series follows Walter White (Bryan Cranston), an underpaid, overqualified, and dispirited h ...

'' (2008–2013); the 13th episode of its final season, " To'hajiilee," is named after the reservation. * Tohajiilee returned in ''Breaking Bad'' spin-off prequel ''

Better Call Saul ''Better Call Saul'' is an American crime and legal drama television series created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould. Part of the ''Breaking Bad'' franchise, it is a spin-off of Gilligan's previous series, ''Breaking Bad'', and serves as a ...

'' as a filming location in the episode " Bagman", depicting a fictional location near the US-Mexico border

References

Canoncito Indian Reservation (Tribal Census Tract 9459), Navajo Reservation and Off-Reservation Trust Land, Arizona/New Mexico/Utah

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

{{Coord, 35, 05, 09, N, 107, 05, 07, W, scale:250000_source:ID934285GNIS, display=title Geography of the Navajo Nation American Indian reservations in New Mexico Populated places on the Navajo Nation