Tó Nizhóní Ání: Coal Mining Devastated the Water and Brought Black Lung Disease -- Forest Lake Hearing on Coal

Ed Silverhatband from the community of Forest Lake shares his experience working as a coal miner and the long-term impacts it has had on his health, such as black lung, which has required two lung transplants. Photo courtesy Tó Nizhóní Ání.

Tó Nizhóní Ání executive director Nicole Horseherder provides her public comment before the Speaker of the Navajo Nation during the Public Hearing on Coal. Photo courtesy Tó Nizhóní Ání.

25th Navajo Nation Council Public Hearing on Coal

By Tó Nizhóní Ání

Sacred Water Speaks

On Friday, May 30, 2025, the Office of the Speaker held a public hearing on coal at the Forest Lake Chapter House in Forest Lake (Tsiiyi’ Be’ak’id), Arizona. This open forum allowed participants to share their input and comments regarding the Federal Executive Order 14241, “Reinvigorating America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Industry,” aimed at amending federal policies to boost the coal industry.

This public hearing came after community opposition and frustration to Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren’s support of President Trump’s executive orders to prop up coal. The public hearing generated over 50 public comments, more than 169 people in attendance.

Tó Nizhóní Ání executive director Nicole Horseherder was one of the first to provide comments in opposition of coal siting the decades-long impacts on the land and water. “The bottom line is coal mining has had adverse impacts to the aquifers and that’s Navajo water. What is Navajo going to do about it?” said Nicole as she provided a brief overview of the coal mining and reclamation issues at the Kayenta Mine.

The federal agencies responsible for overseeing reclamation and cleanup acknowledged, verbally, that their duties are to the shallow aquifers impacted by coal but mentioned the deep aquifers are the responsibility of the Department of Interior. These are just one of many issues impacting the Black Mesa region, which played host to the coal industry for over 50 years.

Percy Deal of Big Mountain, Arizona, shares a brief history of the region with the Speaker of the Navajo Nation. Photo courtesy Tó Nizhóní Ání.

Another local community member, Percy Deal, shared his opposition to the executive orders supported by the Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren. “Before leaving for Washington DC, President Nygren should have come to us, as you are doing today”, said Percy. “To review his plan and seek our opinion, as mandated by Title 1, Navajo Nation Code, the Fundamental Law.”

Percy Deal had just finished high school when the coal mining operations started on Black Mesa, and by the time he entered college, the forced relocation of Diné people had begun in the Big Mountain region. Unlike his parents, Percy had seen the decline of coal and coal mining on Black Mesa, but he continues to live with the impacts it left on his community and land. 

Toward the conclusion of the public hearing, the audience witnessed one of the youngest voices expressing their opposition to these executive orders. Ahxeeníbaa’ Ashley, 9, said she prepared her comments after hearing her grandmothers talking about the hearing and listening to them prepare for the event.

Ahxeeeníbaa’ talked about coal’s impact on her family and community. “When I hear my masoni’s and cheiis talk about the coal mining and relocation, I can hear the pain and trauma in their voices,” said Ahxeeníbaa’. “Because of what it has done to our community.” Ahxeeníbaa’ was one of the two young voices that made verbal comments at this public hearing.  

Big Mountain resident Louise Benally provides her public comment before the crowd at the Public Hearing on Coal. Photo courtesy Tó Nizhóní Ání.

(Above) Amos Johnson of Kits'iilí speaks before the Speaker of the Navajo Nation and attending council delegates at the Public Hearing on Coal. Photo courtesy Tó Nizhóní Ání.

Amy Begay provided her public comment at the Public Hearing on Coal, where she tied in the history of resource extraction on the Navajo Nation to the current issues impacting our nation. Photo courtesy Tó Nizhóní Ání.

"When I hear my masoni's and cheii's talk abot the coal mining and relocation, I can hear the pain and trauma in their voices because of what it has done to our community." - Ahxeeníbaa' Ashley. Photo courtesy Tó Nizhóní Ání.

Tó Nizhóní Ání would like to thank all of those that came out to express their concerns regarding the executive orders to prop up coal. More importantly the relatives who came out to speak on behalf of Nihimá Nahasdzáán and Tó Asdzáán. To hear more of the community members that spoke during this event, see the Navajo Nation Council’s recorded livestream linked here. To see more photos taken during this event, see the Navajo Nation Council’s Facebook post recapping the event linked here.

If you missed this in-person public hearing, the Speaker’s Office has scheduled a second public hearing taking place at the Nenahnezad Chapter House in Nenahnezad, New Mexico, on Thursday, June 19, 2025, starting at 9:00 AM MDT (Navajo Time). If you are not able to make any in person event, you can email your comments to the Office of the Speaker at SpeakerComments@navajo-nsn.gov.