Dinnehotso, AZ

A small community on the Navajo Reservation, located on Highway 160 in the northeastern corner of Arizona. In Navajo, the name Dennihotso means "A Yellow Meadow Extending Upward." The place was a summer camp site for some Navajo families, and between 1911 and 1915 a trading post was established in the village, which allowed for a more permanent settlement to grow around it. Small-scale farming was the main source of livelihood for Dennihotso families, and between 1940 and 1960 Uranium mining in the nearby Cane Valley provided employment as well, but after the decline of the mining industry the town experienced a significant depression. Today the trading post is closed, and many farms are idle as younger generations migrate to bigger towns in search of employment and a more modern lifestyle. According to the 2000 census the community's population was 734.