This book on the "History and Economic Resources of the Navajo Nation" is the result of a joint effort by two geologists, Dale Nations and Henry Haven, both of whom have studied the geology, and worked on the Navajo and Hopi Lands for many years.
Dale is a Registered Professional Geologist and former University Professor who has devoted many of his professional years to research on the rocks on Navajo and Hopi lands. He and co-author Henry Haven published their work as the U.S.G.S. Professional Paper No. 1625 in 2000 and have written a previous book on "Traditional Navajo Stories and the Science of Geology" in 2023. For this book, they have summarized the relevant information on coal, oil and gas, groundwater, uranium, helium, hydrogen, and industrial minerals occurrence on Navajo and Hopi lands. They also review Navajo cultural activities of economic significance, such as weaving, silversmithing, pottery, forestry, and livestock management.
Henry is a full-blooded Navajo who grew up speaking the Navajo language and experiencing the Navajo culture. After earning Bachelor's and Master of Science degrees in geology, he worked several years as a Petroleum Geologist in the Four Corners area and Texas, then returned to Dineh Bikeyah to study the coal resources of Black Mesa. He worked for the Navajo Nation Environmental Agency from 2000 to 2024. Henry contributes to the Navajo people's belief in the wise use of water, land, and resources.
Both authors have an appreciation for the economic significance of the natural resources of Navajo and Hopi lands and have encouraged their wise utilization. This book summarizes the natural resources of the Navajo and Hopi lands, and their relationships to Native American cultures. The border of the front cover is a design from a traditional Navajo rug that was woven by Henry's grandmother Hazel Cornfield in the early 1970s.