{"id":2581,"date":"2020-03-19T13:22:19","date_gmt":"2020-03-19T17:22:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/web.colby.edu\/coronaguidance\/?p=2581"},"modified":"2020-11-13T13:34:15","modified_gmt":"2020-11-13T17:34:15","slug":"navajo-surviving-covid-dine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/coronaguidance\/2020\/03\/19\/navajo-surviving-covid-dine\/","title":{"rendered":"Navajo Times: Surviving the coronavirus crisis: Din\u00e9 perspectives"},"content":{"rendered":"

WINDOW ROCK<\/strong><\/p>\n

In speaking with members of the Navajo Nation regarding their preparations for weathering the coronavirus pandemic, common factors have emerged: a need to return to traditional ways, with a focus on K\u2019e and T\u2019\u00e1\u00e1 hw\u00f3 aj\u00ed t\u2019\u00e9ego, to protect families and elders, and take care of our Mother Earth.<\/p>\n

Many have suggested that this is a time to stock up and stay home and to rest, reflect, and embrace traditional knowledge and practices that have sustained Din\u00e9 through many past existential threats and periods of hardship.<\/p>\n

Clayson Benally \u2013 \u2018That may be our lifeline\u2019<\/h2>\n

\u201cThe place we\u2019re at today is 102 years from the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic and my family would not be here today if it wasn\u2019t for my grandma Zonnie Benally,\u201d said Clayson Benallly.<\/p>\n

Before the outbreak of the flu, Zonnie Benally, who was a medicine woman and a hand trembler, was given a warning in the form of a saddle on a horse that mysteriously caught on fire even though it wasn\u2019t near a fire.<\/p>\n

The burning saddle was interpreted as a sign that a flu that was coming, a sickness that would correlate with a meteor shower, and that by eating horse meat their health would be boosted.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy eating the horse that would give them the necessary strength to fight off the sickness and stay healthy,\u201d said Clayson.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Zonnie Benally and her family travelled the region and warned everyone about the flu. They told people how to prepare and what to expect.<\/p>\n

They said to stay away from people and go away into isolation, except for going out with the sheep and animals, and to wash hands and cleanse thoroughly.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot everyone listened,\u201d said Clayson. \u201cThe people that didn\u2019t prepare this way passed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe World Health Organization is telling you to prepare,\u201d said Clayson. \u201cWe have the information ahead of time. It\u2019s a blessing. We should definitely heed those warnings.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clayson says he finds it amazing that his grandmother\u2019s recommendation from 100 years ago is exactly the same as what WHO is recommending now \u2014 avoid contact with people and isolate.<\/p>\n

In some ways, by doing so, people can also refocus on their health and well-being.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey can enjoy being home and become resilient and stronger because of these adversities,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He says as a Nation we have to do our best to protect the elders.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur elders are so precious to us,\u201d he said. \u201cAnyone with a conscience should protect our elders and our most vulnerable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clayson\u2019s father Hataalii Jones Benally has stayed prepared because of past events, he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is exactly why my father has kept our sheep, our cows, our horses,\u201d said Clayson. \u201cThis is everything that our elders prepared us for. We\u2019re fortunate we didn\u2019t sell everything off, because now we\u2019re in a situation where that just may be our lifeline.\u201d<\/p>\n

The traditional culture has always been part of Din\u00e9 health care system, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore there were hospitals, there were medicine men and women,\u201d he said. \u201cOur lifestyle is preventative \u2014 living off the land, living close to nature.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eugenia Charles-Newton \u2013 \u2018Walking the walk\u2019<\/h2>\n

Along with several delegates who recently travelled to Washington, D.C., Eugenia Charles-Newton said she decided to self-isolate for 14 days. She says it\u2019s the protection of the elders she\u2019s thinking about most.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven though we feel fine, it\u2019s a precautionary measure,\u201d she said. \u201cIf we can limit contact and limit how this virus is transferred, we should be taking every measure to do that. As leaders we shouldn\u2019t just be talking the talk, we should be walking the walk.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles-Newton says she has faith and confidence in the traditional practitioners who are taking the necessary steps to try to pray for the people.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are a lot of ceremonies that have been going on,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

While she normally participates in regular sweats that strengthen her, she says right now she\u2019s practicing her traditions at home.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe burned cedar when I came home and we prayed as a family,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Charles-Newton says the elders have recommend the healing properties of blue corn mush and her husband said it\u2019s time to start hunting again to get meat.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s come to that point where we have to think about these things,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Charles-Newton\u2019s grandmother used to say if we don\u2019t take care of this earth, there would be consequences and an attempt to restore balance.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember elders talking about something that was going to be in the air that was going to infect the elements,\u201d she said. \u201cThey said the sickness is going to be in the air.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles-Newton says some of elders are now saying, \u201cThis is it \u2014 this is what we were warned about.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s coming to light now. We have this knowledge and these medicines,\u201d she said. \u201cThey said we\u2019re all going to have to come together and share our knowledge and go back to the earth healing us.\u201d<\/p>\n

She reflects back on how resilient the elders are and what they\u2019ve gone though.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe survived because of our traditional knowledge and because of what we knew at the time,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Emery Denny \u2013 \u2018K\u2019\u00e9 is going to be our strength\u2019<\/h2>\n

Emery Denny\u2019s grandfather told him you should never feed your fear, because that\u2019s how it grows.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t feed the coronavirus fear,\u201d said Denny. \u201cInstead, pray about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Denny, a Marine Corps veteran and son of Hataalii Avery Denny, said, \u201cI\u2019m trying to use this negativity to propel me and my family forward. The energy can consume you or you can use it for your benefit.\u201d<\/p>\n

He believes preparation can be empowering and go a long way towards alleviating fear.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think a lot of times we get dependent on the system that\u2019s in place and it\u2019s been a long time since that\u2019s been disrupted,\u201d said Denny. \u201cPeople who are prepared aren\u2019t as panicked.\u201d<\/p>\n

Because of our reliance the market economy, many Navajos stopped planting, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAgriculture and horticulture have gotten away from us and that was something that made us a truly sovereign nation not too long a go,\u201d he said. \u201cWe were economically, physically, and spiritually sovereign so we didn\u2019t live in fear.\u201d<\/p>\n

Additionally, he says, people have become specialized in their vocations and have let go of secondary skills that offer a lot of flexibility, especially in a time like this.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m using this time time teach my son more about being independent, self-sufficient,\u201d said Emery Denny. \u201cAnd seeing this as a great lesson to say, \u2018Don\u2019t depend on Walmart to get everything in life \u2014 some things you\u2019re going to have to grow for yourself, make for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Denny says he and his son will plant a garden again this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important to me that my son grows up knowing there\u2019s a source of food and income at home,\u201d he said. \u201cI want him to know that there is a certain stability in traditional living.\u201d<\/p>\n

He says these teachings at young age instill a value system, because you\u2019re tied to the land, the weather.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese things used to be common knowledge,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He says if we all help each other and look out for the elders, everything will be all right.<\/p>\n

He encourages everyone to go back to the basics and what they already know, including T\u2019\u00e1\u00e1 hw\u00f3 aj\u00ed t\u2019\u00e9ego and K\u2019\u00e9.<\/p>\n

\u201cK\u2019\u00e9 is going to be the biggest currency and K\u2019e is going to be our strength,\u201d said Denny.<\/p>\n

With regard to cultivating self-sufficiency, he says, it begins with yourself.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe use our traditional knowledge to proactive about about our physical and spiritual health,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Getting up early in the morning, praying, running and looking for opportunities to make the most of life are a good way to start every day, he said.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also important to try to spread a little humor.<\/p>\n

\u201cHumor is actually a real big component of healing,\u201d he said. \u201cOur corn also plays a role. All these things are used as part of our medicine.\u201d<\/p>\n

He encourages everyone to find the good parts in the situation we\u2019re in.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a blessing in disguise if you look at it with the correct lens,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

For example, he says, some of you are going to have time with your children that you\u2019ve wished for.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just told my son Navajo culture just got extended to the whole day instead of one hour,\u201d chuckled Denny.<\/p>\n

Nathanial Brown \u2013 \u2018We are her children\u2019<\/h2>\n

Delegate Nathanial Brown believes an event like the coronavirus crisis has the power to bring people back together.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe the Holy People are telling us it\u2019s time to go home,\u201d he said. \u201cSpend time together \u2014 you\u2019re children are hurting, you\u2019re grandmas are hurting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ultimately, we\u2019re in a day and age when people can connect so quickly but where they are the most lonely, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur spirituality is nature and when we\u2019re out of balance, this is what happens,\u201d he said. \u201cThe way to rebalance is we need to continue to say our prayers and make offerings.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brown\u2019s grandmother says we need to go back to farming and growing our own food, and eating horse meat, rich in antibodies.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur health has been compromised,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

We can\u2019t be lazy, gluttonous or prideful anymore, he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been letting the materialistic things dictate our life,\u201d he said. \u201cMoney has become our religion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brown\u2019s grandmother told him that when the world comes to using only one language, we will see the end of things.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe diversity is so important,\u201d he said. \u201cThe beauty of the world is that we\u2019re all so different. We\u2019re supposed to appreciate our differences.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brown says once we disobey natural laws, we can be expecting phenomenons like the coronavirus.<\/p>\n

\u201cMother Nature is responding to us,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen she is stressed she wants to cleanse herself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are her children. Have we been treating her right?,\u201d he asks.<\/p>\n

Brown points to the greed that drives the ever constant extraction of natural resources.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a reason why oil, coal uranium are buried,\u201d said Brown. \u201cWe are surface people. Everything we have on the surface is more than enough for us to live.\u201d<\/p>\n

The truth is that we\u2019ve been hurting that which feeds and shelters us, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re burning fuel at such a tremendous rate. We\u2019re creating trash. The top soil is eroding. We\u2019re contaminating it with pesticides and chemicals,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cMother Earth is telling us we need to change, we need to do something,\u201d said Brown.<\/p>\n

Maybe this coronavirus is a blessing in disguise, he says. Perhaps, in fact, this is what we prayed into being.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat if our prayers are literally being answered?,\u201d he asks.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I know for sure is that there is no amount of darkness or evil that can put out the light, the goodness, and the love that there is,\u201d said Brown.<\/p>\n

Thomas Walker Jr. \u2013 \u2018That\u2019s the prescription\u2019<\/h2>\n

\u201cI think all this humbles us and reminds that we\u2019re all equally vulnerable,\u201d said Delegate Thomas Walker.<\/p>\n

An event like the coronavirus crisis is a great equalizer in that way, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re all defenseless with something like this,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Walker believes it\u2019s important to pay attention to the micro-world, including viruses and bacteria and the \u201cunseen, unheard, faceless, and bodiless\u201d entities in addition to the macro-world of the universe, where we pay attention to the moon, the sun, the earth, the sky and the stars.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs Navajos we believe all of these are living entities,\u201d said Walker. \u201cThey have identity, characteristics, and purpose in our lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

As human beings we live in-between along with plants, insects, animals, in the chain of living beings that we\u2019re a part of, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we really want to be in a good place, a safe place, we must recognize that we are only a small part of that cosmic order,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s time to pay attention with reverence and respect and honor all living things,\u201d he said. \u201cEverything has a history and an origin.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said in order to safely coexist, we need to understand the nature and the power of all living things.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe must not violate or harm any of them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the Navajo belief,\u201d he said. \u201cThere are consequences if you disrupt or disturb living entities \u2014 their lives, their peace, their Hozho.\u201d<\/p>\n

Walker suggests that events like the coronavirus outbreak could be a repercussion for disturbing that peace or harming the environment.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe earth takes care of us very well, almost in a perfected way,\u201d said Walker. \u201cBut sometimes we forget that or take it for granted.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said that the precautionary quarantine and self-isolating measures remind him of steps in the healing process.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou need that time and that space all to yourself,\u201d he said. \u201cYou need to settle down and settle in and take your daily routine, your concerns, and your pursuits off your mind and focus on your well being. You have to stay close to home. That\u2019s the prescription.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jonathan Perry \u2013 \u201cRespecting natural laws\u2019<\/h2>\n

\u201cGrowing up, we were told that Din\u00e9 need to constantly be aware of the things that are changing and are going to impact the way we live and balance our existence,\u201d said former Delegate Jonathan Perry.<\/p>\n

He says in 2003-05, the elders said we would be going through something soon and Navajo Nation should be prepared.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of folks were concerned that we were not holding ourselves accountable and respecting natural laws,\u201d said Perry.<\/p>\n

They predicted that because many ignore or have forgotten aspects of fundamental law an imbalance would occur and in order to regain our balance this type of issue, such as coronavirus, would come about.<\/p>\n

\u201cDue to things we\u2019ve been doing to the earth, the sky and and elements that we identify in our creation stories and our songs and prayers, we have tended to take it for granted and lost that connection to our roots,\u201d said Perry.<\/p>\n

He said right now reconnecting with those roots would be very important as are the practices of T\u2019\u00e1\u00e1 hw\u00f3 aj\u00ed t\u2019\u00e9ego and K\u2019\u00e9.<\/p>\n

Perry says he\u2019s practicing social distancing.<\/p>\n

Isolation is important, because the more we limit interaction, the more we can slow down the virus, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe also need to control our fear,\u201d he added. \u201cWe should be aware of the dangers and conscious of how to protect ourselves, but we don\u2019t want to hurt ourselves either, to the point where we can\u2019t sleep or eat for worry.\u201d<\/p>\n

On a positive note, Perry feels a strong sense of community emerging.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are saying, \u2018We\u2019ve got to go back to growing are own food, we\u2019ve got to to be self-reliant,\u2019\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Perry says those things help us refocus on what\u2019s important here at home and stay grounded.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are a strong people,\u201d said Perry. \u201cWe can get through this. We just have to remember who we are.\u201d<\/p>\n

[March 19, 2020]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

WINDOW ROCK In speaking with members of the Navajo Nation regarding their preparations for weathering the coronavirus pandemic, common factors have emerged: a need to return to traditional ways, with a focus on K\u2019e and T\u2019\u00e1\u00e1 hw\u00f3 aj\u00ed t\u2019\u00e9ego, to protect families and elders, and take care of our Mother Earth. Many have suggested that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9520,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[223812,525977],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/coronaguidance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2581"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/coronaguidance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/coronaguidance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/coronaguidance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9520"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/coronaguidance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2581"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/coronaguidance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2581\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2582,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/coronaguidance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2581\/revisions\/2582"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/coronaguidance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2581"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/coronaguidance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2581"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/coronaguidance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2581"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}