1954 Map of Canoncito School

About this map

The Canoncito Navajo Indian Reservation defines much of this high-desert landscape in the mid-1950s, split by the Bernalillo Co Valencia Co line. Institutional and industrial presence is centered around the Canoncito Navajo Day School and the resource extraction evidenced by the Canoncito Mine and the Fern Mine. The terrain is deeply carved by seasonal watercourses such as the Cañada de los Apaches and Cañada del Alamo, which dictate the placement of local infrastructure. Small-scale ranching and historic habitation are visible through the Herrera Ranch and documented Pueblo Ruins. A network of water management, indicated by various Windmill and Water Tank sites, reflects the essential needs of the Laguna Indian Reservation territory during this era of post-war development in the New Mexico backcountry.