Celebrating 25 Years

As we begin 2026, Tó Nizhóní Ání (TNA) would like to announce that this year marks the 25th anniversary of our organization. In 2001, members of the Dził Nitsaa (Big Mountain), community of the Navajo Nation, met with Hopi leadership under the canopy of juniper trees. They came together to discuss the findings of a recently published study by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), titled “DRAWDOWN: Groundwater Mining on Black Mesa 2000”.

This study would explain the disappearance of springs and seeps across Black Mesa and make direct connections between the loss of groundwater and coal mining. At the conclusion of the meeting, elders called for a unified effort to address the drawdown of Black Mesa's most precious water source, and TNA was established. Stay tuned for more information and join us as we celebrate 25 years of mobilizing communities. Ahéhee’!

-Nicole Horseherder, Executive Director, Tó Nizhóní Ání