The reason it was selected was that it wasn't actually on the reservation. The canyon is names after an early American trader and homesteader. He lived in the canyon before the reservation was even an idea, so when it was formed, his land was carved out so that he could continue to live there. And it remains a little pocket of private land surrounded by the Hopi reservation, which is, of course, surrounded by the Navajo reservation. Land issues get pretty complicated up here.
I talked about this a bit more during my last trip, but the well-intentioned BIA had more of an assimilation mentality than an assistance mentality. They intentionally tried to upset the Hopi peoples' regular daily life, and encouraged them to come down off the mesas as often as possible. They wanted to eventually make them a part of mainstream American culture. Although I'm sure it seemed like the right move at the time, it's pretty easy to see how that policy was pretty misguided.
In the 70s and 80s, the BIA started to see the err in their ways, and gradually integrated services into the Hopi community. That's why the health center is right next to Second Mesa, and there are community centers and post offices right up at the top of most mesas.
But until recently, that wasn't the case. All of the Federal and State services were located in this little pocket of land 17 miles east of the reservation. There's still some activity there now, but it has a distinctly out of place, ghost town feel to it.
It's a fun little look back in time, but it definitely doesn't represent the finest period in the BIA's history. I'm glad to see how well integrated the services are now. The clinic is in the heart of the reservation, the police officers are all Hopi, and the tribe is much more in control of its own resources.
