Inside the stove, a pile of coal smolders. Its flames are low
and sleepy, but the warmth it gives off is strong. "We've always
used coal," Barber said. "It keeps the house warm." Though rare
in other parts of the country, the use of coal to heat homes is
surprisingly common on the 27,000 square-mile Navajo Nation. For
miles upon miles, homes dot the countryside from their roofs,
tiny plumes of soot smoke through blackened chimney tops. Inside
the homes, stoves are backed into the corner and are stuffed
with shiny lumps of coal, a readily available and cheap resource
on the reservation. Of the reservation's wealth of natural
resources, coal is one of the most frequently used in the every
day life of the Navajo. It warms their homes, and provides them
with jobs. Recent events threaten both winter warmth and job
security for the future. An uncertain future As the United
States Environmental Protection Agency has cracked down on
pollution emissions for local coal-powered plants, several are
adjusting their future