Cañoncito, Cibola County
Current Population: 2,500
Language: Navaajo
Location: A 77,816 acre non-contiguous parcel of Navajo land in Cibola, Sandoval, and Bernalillo Counties
Click to expand
Historians have referred to this band as the Cebolleta Navajos. Later they become known as the Canoncito Band of Navajo Indians. The area where the To'hajiilee live was once called Platero, NM and is now called Canoncito (not to be confused with the area in Santa Fe County.) The earliest written record of the Canoncito Navajo Band was when the Spaniards first came into the area around 1580.
To'hajiilee was included in the Long Walk of the Navajo and their internment near Fort Sumner. When they were released, they chose to return to their homeland rather than continue on to Arizona.
Enemy Navajo
The To'Hajiilee Navajo Chapter is unlike the others. They have control over their own land. They can negotiate directly with the State and Counties for services. And they can work directly with the Federal government in very few instances.
While they are an official Chapter of the Navajo Nation, they have long been treated as outsiders. Other Navajos call them "Enemy Navajo" or "Lost Navajo." Former Chapter President Raymond Secatero, who served as a council delegate in the 1970s, has said that the other delegates would trot out the name "Enemy Navajo" every time he presented something they didn't like.
This can cause a lot of issues when it comes to getting the resources they need because they must get approval from the Navajo Nation for everything they want to do. Projects can get held up indefinitely. For example, water access is a huge issue for the people of To'Hajilee. Their request for a water feasibility study didn't get approved for several years.
Struggle for Clean Water
After many years of waiting, they were finally able to do the study. The segment of Rio Puerco aquifer that is located beneath the village is running out of water. And the water has become contaminated with hydrogen sulfide gas, which corrodes well equipment, smells like rotten eggs, and makes you sick when ingested..
They worked out plans to pipe water owned by the Navajo and water rights the To'Hajiilee leased from another tribe using the Albuquerque system. The project was stalled from 2019-2023 because the corporation wouldn't sell access for an easement. This has denied the Band a basic human right of access to clean water - during the pandemic. The community would get cases of bottled water delivered by the Navajo and they would have to drive 80+ miles to buy more when that ran out each month.
Contaminated water and poor sanitation are linked to the transmission of diseases such as cholera, diarrhea, dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid, and polio. Lack of access to clean water exposes people to dire health risks. This situation has taken a toll on he community members' mental health.
In 2023, with support from state officials, negotiations finally worked and the Band was given access and can FINALLY move forward with the water project.
Community School
The To’Hajiilee Community School was a prominant force in the community. It closed in early 2023 - to make way for something better. To’Hajiilee received a significant government grant to build a new school. U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury said she saw the need for her constituents in To’Hajiilee and secured the money so a new school can be built in a safer and higher location where water does not concentrate and flood. “For me, the story and history and just the beauty and resilience of this community in the school is what has driven me every day,” said Stansbury.
