Chinle boy's basketball head coach Raul Mendoza was in the spotlight in 1989 when former NBA great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar became a volunteer assistant coach at Alchesay High School in Whiteriver, Arizona.

The national and local media ventured to Whiteriver for a press conference when Jabbar was introduced as an assistant coach.

During the course of the basketball season, Alchesay basketball team and Mendoza were featured in Sports Illustrated.

At completion of the season, Jabbar wrote a book on his experiencces on the White Mountain Apache Reservation, where Alchesay High School is located. A picture of Alchesay team and Mendoza were featured on the cover.

Earlier this summer, Chinle boy's basketball team was featured in a film documentar titled, Basketball or Nothing.

Canyon Dreams, a book written by New York Times Columnist Michael Powell, hits the bookstores and will be available online, beginning today.

Canyon Dreams may be purchased at most bookstores and online at Barnes & Noble, Amazon and Powell Books

Powell will have a book signing at Bookworks in Albuquerque at 3 p.m. on January 26, 2020. Powell is planning on being in Chinle from January 26 to 30, 2020.

"I want to give copies of the books to (Chinle coach) Raul (Mendoza) and Athletic Director Shaun Martin and families of the players, who were so patient and gave so much of their time to me," Powell said. "I am so deeply appreciative of the help that (Chinle Schools) Superintendent Quincy Natay gave me. I want to thank him again personally. If I can, I'd like to arrange a forum while I am there to talk about the book."

Canyon Dreams features Chinle Wildcats basketball coaching legend Raul Mendoza, current and former Chinle players and the Chinle community.

"On its face, the book (Canyon Dreams), is about a season in the life of the Chinle Wildcats, and the pursuit of a state championship by a legendary coach and these talented teenage boys," Powell said. "But I did not set out to write just a sports book. I wanted to use it as a window onto the rich culture, history and traditions of the Navajo."

Powell said he spoke with former stars and graduates, with Medicine Men, with historians, with teachers and so on.

"I wanted a book that was deeply embedded in that great nation," he said. "And I am deeply appreciative of all those who helped me understand these currents."

Powell said he met Mendoza at Window Rock High School, when he was the Scouts head coach. Powell was in Phoenix covering the Super Bowl as a sports columnist.

"I decided to head up to Navajo and watch a little Rez ball and write about that," Powell said. "Raul (Mendoza) was coaching Window Rock that night. We talked the next day and got along well. I called him a few months later to talk about writing a couple of stories on him and his team for the New York Times. As it turned out, he had moved onto Chinle."

Powell added, "So I wrote two long stories for the New York Times on the Wildcats, coach Mendoza and the Rez. I was interested in the fast-paced, sneaker squeaking pace of play, but even more in the role that basketball plays in the culture of Navajo, and going back generations, for men and women."

Powell said his wife, Evelyn Intondi, worked at the old Fort Defiance Hospital in 1993 as a midwife and became accustomed with the Navajo people and area. Powell said he and wife spent time on the Navajo Nation a quarter of a century ago. He said living in Fort Defiance and the Navajo Nation grabbed a piece of their souls.

""We have both had a love for the Navajo Nation ever since," Powell said.

"We found when we returned to the East and our home that too few understood the size and power of this largest of all Native American nations," Powell said. "So when I went back there to write a column for the New York Times, I thought to myself, "this is such a rich story, more than I can capture in a couple of stories. I want come back and write something longer and deeper."

Powell said he spent six months living in Chinle and another eight months writing.

"After that, there was all sorts of copy edits, smaller changes and fact checking," he said.

Powell said he came up with the book title, Canyon Dreams, when he walked the canyon and it loomed large in the minds of all who grew up there.

"I personally walked the White House trail every day, on weekends and often ventured off into other canyons," Powell said. "I also wanted to get at the hold that this beautiful land has on the Navajo and the challenge that young men and women face in deciding whether and how to leave for education and jobs."

Earlier this summer, a film documentary, Basketball or Nothing, was shown on Netflix. Matt Howley, who is the documentary film producer, said he read Powell's story in the New York Times.  Howley said he based the film documentary on Powell's New York Times story.

"It was a good documentary and I was pleased for the exposure it gave to the Navajo and to Rez ball," Powell noted.

Mendoza said he was very pleased to know that the documentary was well received by everyone in the states, as well as in other countries.

Mendoza said he knows Powell put a lot in his research as he was gathering all the information.

"I believe he went all over the reservation with his interviews on the subject," Mendoza said. "I am happy for Chinle that with the documentary and the book, the community of Chinle being recogniazed from all over the world."

Chinle School District Athletic Director Shaun Martin said he is very excited about the book, as Powell's first article on the team was published in the New York Times on January 1, 2017 was great.

"Mr. Powell's experience and understandings of our Navajo culture, people and way of life makes his story telling, a joy to read," Martin said. "I'm sure the book will shed light on our students and their hard work. The book will pay tribute to coach Mendoza and his outstanding commitment to all the students he has dedicated his life to mentoring.

Martin continued, "Ultimately, I am excited to see our students, our community, our culture, represent all Indigenous peoples in this book as it educates the world about who are kids are and shows the world how are kids can successfully in the world today."