Coal: A Hopi Tradition

 by Jack Pongyesva, Energy Intern

“Seehayouma,” my Soho’ says, holding out buckets coated with black streaks and smudges. “Go to the coal shed with your dad before the house gets too cold.” 

Seldom does my grandmother address me by anything but my traditional name. My dad and I waste no time, making our way through the snow to our little coal shed. We break the coal into smaller pieces, pile it into the designated buckets, and hurry back to the warm house.

The memory of this common winter chore reminds me of the vital role coal plays in the Hopi community. For generations, Hopi residents have relied on this fossil fuel to keep warm during the long winter months. Since the 1300s, the Hopi have used coal as the primary source of household heating. In fact, for over a decade, each family has received a fixed amount of Black Mesa coal every year, free of charge. 

The Transition

As a Grand Canyon Trust intern, I was tasked with researching alternative ways that coal communities can support their local economies. I am familiar with the environmental detriments of this industry and am committed to working toward energy reform in the region I love most. But as a member of the Hopi community that relies heavily on coal, I am acutely aware of the complexities and challenges that accompany this work.  

If the inevitable transition away from coal fails to take people into account, communities all across the Colorado Plateau will be left behind. How will mining families thrive without their once-secure source of income? How will my grandmother heat her home in the winter? With family in a community possibly affected by this transition, I find it paramount to consider the well-being of the people impacted most. 

Trusting in the Work

• During my internship at the Grand Canyon Trust, I looked at the economic importance of coal mining to Colorado Plateau communities, as well as plausible solutions to crashing coal markets. Here are some of my research highlights:
• There are 21 active coal mines within the Four Corner states, directly employing 4,386 residents (or approximately 8.1 percent of total residents employed by coal mines in the U.S.) 
• Out of these plateau coal mining positions, 403 are in Arizona, 1,642 are in Colorado, 1,130 are in New Mexico, and 1,211 are in Utah. 
• The plateau states generated $146.7 million in revenues from coal mining in 2016, an estimated 15 percent of the national total for that year.
• Arizona has only one active coal mine, which operates on tribal land. The 2016 coal revenues generated at this mine though were considerable, consisting of $33.9 million or about 23 percent of the total coal revenues on the plateau. 

Overall, my research made clearer the challenges and consequences that the region could face from a sudden halt of coal production that isn’t met with realistic, proactive efforts to find solutions.

Don’t Forget “We the People...”

Before my work at the Trust, I considered coal mining to be an environmentally destructive industry and had little interest in learning from those involved. However, as I dug deeper into the contemporary coal operations of the Southwest, I developed a profound sense of awareness and a unique consideration for the individuals that make up the coal industry. I realized that coal workers are simply supporting their families in the best way they know how, much like the Hopi are heating their houses in the best way they know how.

As we face the inevitable decline of coal on the Colorado Plateau, we must take everyone and their needs into consideration in order to ensure a just transition, for the environment and the people. This means Native Americans, coal industry workers, and government officials alike. Thanks to my work at the Trust, I have a clearer understanding of the challenges we face, but also a strong sense of hope that we can put aside our differences and work toward a future where Colorado Plateau communities can survive and thrive without coal. 

Thanks for your work, Jack!