Redsteer's main research focuses on fixing the effects of climate change on the Navajo region by incorporating the knowledge of Native American elders in combination with scientific studies and procedures.
[6] In 1986, Redsteer, her husband, and three small children, were forced to relocate to Flagstaff, Arizona due to the 1974 Navajo Hopi Land Settlement Act.
[6] After winning a National Science Foundation Fellowship,[5] Redsteer studied sedimentology at Montana State University, where she earned her master's degree in 1983.
[1] Redsteer's master's research in Yellowstone National Park was inspired by David Love, a Wyoming geologist who spent much of his career studying volcanic rocks in the area.
[8] Although academia remains a male-dominated profession, female scientists like Redsteer inspired girls to pursue science.
[2] [5] Redsteer uses her life experiences from living on a reservation and her scientific training to develop solutions for tribal communities with poor water access.