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.