Miss Navajo Nation is a ‘glimmer of hope’ for community during pandemic
PHOENIX – After winning the title of Miss Navajo Nation in September, Shaandiin Parrish immediately got to work on the cultural preservation and advocacy efforts central to the role.
‘It just feels like they’re forgotten’: Navajo women mobilize to protect elders from COVID-19
SCOTTSDALE – Considered the most respected members of Indigenous communities, elders hold immense cultural wisdom. But COVID-19 has hit them especially hard.
Given history of discrimination, can community help Black-owned businesses survive COVID-19?
PHOENIX – Black-owned businesses were particularly hard-hit when the spread of COVID-19 shut down or restricted nonessential activity throughout the country last spring, leaving many to wonder whether they could survive the plummet in daily customers.
School-to-prison pipeline has deep roots in tangled history of tribal schools
PHOENIX - Juvenile incarceration disproportionately affects Native American youth, a disparity experts trace back to U.S. assimilation policies of the 19th and 20th centuries - which included tribal boarding schools and the trauma that some have linked to them.
Asians make long transcontinental journey to reach U.S., new opportunities
LA PEÑITA, PANAMA – An increasing number of migrants from far-flung places in Asia are attempting to get to the United States via a long journey through South and Central America.
Arizona Medicaid recipients topped 2 million after five-month surge
WASHINGTON - The number of people on Arizona's Medicaid rolls topped 2 million this summer, boosting enrollment 8.7% during a five-month surge in enrollment that coincided with COVID-19's hit to the state's health and its economy.
Health officials report increases in drug overdoses, suicides during COVID-19 pandemic
PHOENIX - As social distancing and isolation continue throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many states across the country are reporting an increase in reported drug overdoses and suicides, including Arizona.
‘Keeping the culture alive’: Native dance goes digital during pandemic
PHOENIX – Native communities have cancelled traditional gatherings because of COVID-19. But Tiny Rosales, a member of the Ojibwe tribe, has found a way to “to keep the people dancing” by creating a space on Facebook to host virtual Native dance competitions.
As providers turn to telehealth during COVID-19, calls rise for more resources in Indian Country
PHOENIX – With telehealth expansion, community leaders and medical providers see a chance for improved health outcomes amid COVID-19 and beyond, but a lack of infrastructure hinders access for some on tribal lands.
Talking ‘the talk’: Black leaders in Arizona recall sobering rite of passage
PHOENIX - For any teen, a driver’s license is a rite of passage. But for Black teens in America, the freedom that comes with car keys also comes with “the talk”: The time when Black parents sit their children down to explain what to do if stopped by a police officer.
Crimes in Tucson, Phoenix fell in second quarter, as COVID-19 took hold
Crime fell in Phoenix and Tucson in the second quarter of the year, a period when a COVID-19 stay-at-home order was in effect, but while property crimes in both cities dropped aggravated assaults rose - possibly because of pandemic-related stress.
COVID-19 threatens migrant, officer safety at cramped ICE detention centers
PHOENIX - More than 440 detainees at the four Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers in Arizona have tested positive for COVID-19, and advocates are suing for the releas of detainees, which they insist is "the only appropriate remedy."
