Navajo ‘Water Warrior’ drives miles during COVID to deliver to those in need
PHOENIX – Water is a precious commodity in rural Native American communities like the Navajo Nation, where a virus that requires good hygiene has taken an especially heavy toll. One man is looking to help, by delivering barrels of water to those in need.
Food insecurity amid COVID-19 prompts Native Americans to return to their roots
PHOENIX – There are few grocery stores in Indian Country, so as COVID-19 leaves shelves scarce, Indigenous communities are returning to their food-growing roots.
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.
‘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.
Next Generation: Grappling with loss of life and connection, Native youth transform into the leaders of tomorrow
PHOENIX – With COVID-19 disproportionately affecting tribal nations, Native youth are stepping up to help others, preserve their culture and start the healing process.
‘It’s creating a new normal’: A Navajo school district and its students fight to overcome amid COVID-19
PIÑON – Even in the best of times, Native American K-12 students have faced an uphill battle to getting a high school diploma. Now COVID has brought new challenges, but one district is doing everything it can to help its students persevere.
Ajo group bands together to fight food insecurity during COVID-19
AJO – When COVID-19 crashed the food systems in Ajo and the nearby Tohono O’odham Nation, locals stepped in to fill the gap. After the shelves of the town’s lone grocery store were picked bare in April, one nonprofit transformed a cafe into a de facto food pantry.
‘One generation away’: Diné College fights to keep Navajo culture alive during pandemic
The Navajo Nation has been hit hard by COVID-19. Schools and teachers like those at the Diné College in Tsaile pass on traditional knowledge in the face of a pandemic.
Group steps up to get supplies to Navajo veterans during pandemic
PHOENIX – When two Arizona veterans heard that veterans on the Navajo reservation were struggling during the pandemic, they felt it was their duty to help. So they started raising money to get supplies directly to them.
Shipping sage and praying on Zoom: How an Indigenous healing practice survived the pandemic
PHOENIX – For centuries, Native Americans have used talking circles to solve problems and provide healing. During the pandemic, these practices moved online and outdoors to help those in need.
A Community’s Response: Reflections from the White Mountain Apache Tribe a year into the COVID-19 pandemic
WHITERIVER – COVID-19 devastated Native American communities. With the spotlight often on places like the Navajo Nation, the much smaller White Mountain Apache Tribe quietly battled to save its people.
Q&A: How one warrior mobilized to deliver water to the Navajo Nation
PHOENIX – A year since its founding, a water access campaign on the Navajo reservation has delivered more than 250,000 gallons of water to those in need. Founder Zoel Zohnnie talks about how he has kept the effort going and lessons learned.