Jim kristofic biography

Jim Kristofic grew up on the Navajo Reservation in northeastern Arizona, and has worked on and off the “Rez” for more than twenty years as a river guide, journalist, ranch hand, National Park ranger, horticulturalist, construction worker, and oral historian. In 2018, he was named the National Teacher of the Year by the Johnson-O'Malley Association. He has written for The Navajo Times, Arizona Highways, Native Peoples Magazine, and High Country News. He is the recent author of Medicine Women: The Story of the First Native American Nursing School, from University of New Mexico Press. He also wrote the award-winning books The Hero Twins: A Navajo-English Story of the Monster Slayers and Navajos Wear Nikes: A Reservation Life, both published by UNM Press. He lives in Taos, New Mexico. You can contact him at www.jimkristofic.com or through the "Navajos Wear Nikes" Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Navajos-Wear-Nikes/132679940123287

Jim Kristofic grew up on the Navajo Reservation in northeastern Arizona and has worked on and off the “Rez” for more than twenty years as a river guide, journalist, ranch hand, National Park ranger, horticulturist, construction worker, and oral historian. In 2018, he was named the National Teacher of the Year by the Johnson-O’Malley Association.

He has written for The Navajo Times, Arizona Highways, Native Peoples Magazine, High Country News, Parabola, and Travel and Leisure Magazine. He is the recent author of House Gods: Sustainable Buildings and Renegade Builders. He co-authored with Edison Eskeets the history and Send a Runner: A Navajo Honors the Long Walk, which was named a Southwest Book of the Year and earned a Booklist starred review. He also wrote the award-winning books The Hero Twins: A Navajo-English Story of the Monster Slayers and Navajos Wear Nikes: A Reservation Life, both published by UNM Press.

He lives in Taos, New Mexico.

Yá’áát’ééh,

I’m Jim Kristofic and I’ve always liked telling stories. I grew up on the Navajo Reservation in northeastern Arizona, and have worked on and off the “Rez” for more than ten years as a river guide, journalist, ranch hand, National Park ranger, and oral historian. I have written for The Navajo Times, Arizona Highways, Native Peoples
Magazine, and High Country News.

I live in beautiful Taos, New Mexico, but I consider Diné Bikéyah – the Navajo Reservation – my true home.

I’ll be using this space to maintain contact with readers and friends. I’ll be using my writings to tell stories about the Reservation and the interesting things that you find there.

My memoir, Navajos Wear Nikes: A Reservation Life, was published by University of New Mexico Press in spring 2011. It was praised for its “wit and keen observation” by the Arizona Daily Sun and its “consummate storytelling” by New Mexico Magazine. The book was released in paperback in October 2011 and was a finalist for the Spur Award from the Western Writer̵