Nazlini is the Navajo Community named after a description of a bend in the Nazlini canyon creek. Water runs year round in this creek. The first community school was originally constructed as a day school in 1952. Since then, it has operated as a boarding school. The current location of the school was formerly an alfalfa field owned by the late Clitso Dedman. He envisioned a future of great leaders through education and designated his field for a permanent school building.