Strong foundations: Faith and PPE supplies support the Navajo Nation
“These individuals that are here are warriors,” says Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez. He’s talking about the team working alongside him at a COVID-19 awareness checkpoint in Tuba City, Arizona. But he’s also describing all Navajo first responders putting themselves in harm’s way.
Early in the pandemic, Navajo Nation had one of the highest per capita rates of infection in the country, in part because roughly 40% of the population don’t have running water in their homes.
“If you get [the] CDC telling you to wash your hands with soap and water on a periodic basis and you don’t have much water, it’s pretty tough to push this virus back,” says President Nez.
He reminds people of their ancestors’ resilience as encouragement.
Residents face other obstacles. Navajo Nation spreads across 27,400 square miles in New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah, with much of the sparse population scattered in isolated pockets. Many lack electricity or internet access, which makes it difficult to get the latest coronavirus updates.
