Camping within the Navajo Nation
Has anyone ever camped in Tuba City, AZ on Navajo Nation property? Is it safe?
Forum Discussion
The acceptability of linguistic terms, whether here or in many, many other cases, is rarely a black-and-white issue, but one with a huge pile of gray in the middle. Determining factors include who uses the term in question, how it is used, to what purpose.
Just to give one example: On the Navajo reservation and on its edges, it is common to see "Navajo tacos" for sale. Sure, that's great (and they're incredibly tasty, too, if made right!). However, quite a few non-Navajos also make very similar tacos (and they can be extremely tasty, too!). Ah, but those other folks aren't about to call them Navajo tacos, either. So they're often called "Indian tacos" instead.
Ok, while I'm at it, a couple of really good places to eat these tacos, in no particular order of quality:
1. the restaurant at the back of the Cameron Trading Post
2. the restaurant next door to the Quality Inn in Tuba City
3. the Twin Rocks restaurant in Bluff
4. the restaurant attached to the gas station at San Felipe north of ABQ
5. The place in Tuba City that no longer exists*
It's been a while since I've been to these places, so, of course, the usual disclaimers apply!
:)
Lynn
*I guess that requires some explanation! Fran Kosik, in the first edition of her excellent book, Native Roads, indicated that the truck stop in Tuba City had the best tacos on the rez. Well, so we looked and looked and looked, only to discover that the truck stop had closed, the whole place razed to the ground. Along with the best tacos on the rez, according to her.
Just to give one example: On the Navajo reservation and on its edges, it is common to see "Navajo tacos" for sale. Sure, that's great (and they're incredibly tasty, too, if made right!). However, quite a few non-Navajos also make very similar tacos (and they can be extremely tasty, too!). Ah, but those other folks aren't about to call them Navajo tacos, either. So they're often called "Indian tacos" instead.
Ok, while I'm at it, a couple of really good places to eat these tacos, in no particular order of quality:
1. the restaurant at the back of the Cameron Trading Post
2. the restaurant next door to the Quality Inn in Tuba City
3. the Twin Rocks restaurant in Bluff
4. the restaurant attached to the gas station at San Felipe north of ABQ
5. The place in Tuba City that no longer exists*
It's been a while since I've been to these places, so, of course, the usual disclaimers apply!
:)
Lynn
*I guess that requires some explanation! Fran Kosik, in the first edition of her excellent book, Native Roads, indicated that the truck stop in Tuba City had the best tacos on the rez. Well, so we looked and looked and looked, only to discover that the truck stop had closed, the whole place razed to the ground. Along with the best tacos on the rez, according to her.
