Know your Dine Identity because Trump is starting to eliminate Indian Reservations

The Wampanoag Tribal Chairman just issued a statement that his tribe is under attack by the federal government.  His tribe is the ‘People of the Light’, the Mashpee Tribe of Massachusetts.  Apparently, he received a letter from the federal government that the Department of Interior will be taking away the tribe’s trust status.  This means the tribal land is not being recognized as an Indian Reservation.  In short, the tribe’s reservation is being eliminated.  It could be fake news but I don’t think this is fake news.  Here’s the Notice from the chairman.

Folks, these are scary times.  I said it before and I’ll say it again:

The fearing time has returned.  Our grandparents dealt with it successfully, as a result, we are here. We need to do what they did and use our traditional teachings, methods, and practices.  This is why it is important to know your language and culture.  This is why it is important that our government and people uphold the traditional Dine ways.  Without these Dine ways, we are no longer Dine.  The 2015 elections involved a language vote which voted down the language, and it was not a good thing.  This virus might be the result, a sort of teaching.

I hope this encourages the Dine to start relearning our traditional Dine language, culture, and way of life.

Can the Navajo Church Rally organizers be charged for murder?

President Nez's Weekly Devotional Prayer Meeting - February 18, 2019

Can the church organizers who held the Chilchinbito revival be charged with murder for causing the death of two members of  the Navajo Nation?  Experts are tracing the outbreak on Navajo to the church rally where many people were infected. The news reports that two people died that attended the rally, but they are not designated as deaths caused by Corona because they were not tested before they died.  However, they died of "respiratory symptoms" after returning from the church rally.  One person was from Chilchinbito and the other was from Lechee. 

The people who caused the Navajo deaths and the Navajo reservation outbreak need to be held accountable and responsible.

President Nez's February 28, 2020 Facebook Post says that there were no known cases of Corona virus on the Navajo reservation at that time. However, the post says:

The World Health Organization encourages people to avoid close contact with others showing symptoms of respiratory illness, such as coughing and sneezing, and to wash your hands with warm water and soap often, stay home if you are sick, and to minimize long-distance travel. The coronavirus has the potential to become severe. Severe cases can also lead to pneumonia, kidney failure, and in some cases, death. The most vulnerable are the elders, young children, and those with compromised immune systems.

Despite this warning, the church organizers held a revival on March 3, 2020 in Chilchinbito where many people from throughout the reservation attended. I heard that the pastor was coughing on everyone in attendance. Thereafter, the participants dispersed back to their homes all throughout the Navajo reservation. Aside from the two deaths and 29 confirmed positive cases out of Chilchinbito, we don't know the extent of harm the Church organizers caused. There could be more people who die.

I heard that there were more revivals held in Western Navajo and in New Mexico. The Christian church is causing too much harm to our people.

I am disappointed that our leadership is not addressing the reckless and harmful behavior displayed by the Christian church. I am disappointed that President Nez, Vice President Lizer, and Council Delegate Nathaniel Brown (Kayenta, Chilchinbito, Dennehotso) are taking no action to make the Church people responsible and accountable.  All President Nez says is he meets with his Christian people for weekly devotional prayer meetings.  But he is not willing to make them accountable for causing the death of Navajo people.  Where is the rest of our leadership?  Hopefully, the Navajo Nation Prosecutor would have more sense.

Navajo Nation Chief Justice Joann Jayne's declaration says that the courts may entertain "violations of quarantines and enforcement of precautionary measures". If people are outside their homes or driving around communities, it is possible that police may enforce the shelter in place order. But can the church rally organizers be charged for murder? We need to demand accountability for harm caused.

(Update:  What I am talking about is not out of the ordinary.  A doctor in Connecticut was charged criminally for intentionally coughing on other health care staff.  ‘Doctor facing charges’.  Also, a third person from Navajo Mountain who attended a church revival has died.)

Averting the First of the Month Disaster

Does the Navajo Nation have a plan for the influx of people, including elders, that will be going to the bordertowns on the first of the month? The people need groceries and supplies. Many Dine get goverment payments on the 1st of the month. These Dine will be flocking to the bordertowns to buy groceries and supplies. There will be many people including elders that go to places like Walmart and T & R. There will be congestion. This is a recipe for disaster. What can we do now to prevent a lot of people getting sick and maybe die? We want to prevent that spike in death. Some American leaders have stated that it's okay for the elders to die because it's better for the economy.  ("Coronavirus has Donald Trump and Dan Patrick ready to sacrifice older people")  

Dine care for their elders.  Our leadership and people can:

• Start radio announcements requiring people to send minimal people to get groceries in the bordertowns, and if possible, urge elders to stay at home.
• Set up roadblocks at the outlets (like Window Rock, Shiprock, Leupp, Dilkon, Cameron) and turn away people who have excess people in the vehicle. 
• Make agreements with bordertown businesses (like Walmart) to limit the number of people that go into the store, to periodically wipe down inventory, to require workers to wear gloves and masks, establish a numbering system at the door, urge people to not bunch up at the entrances, provided hand sanitizing or washing stations at the entrances, and refusing people with fevers from entering by checking their temperature using an electric wand thermometer.  
• If there is a shortage of police officers to man the roadblocks, then enlist citizen volunteers to assist at the roadblocks.  

Stay alive - Stay inside. 

Navajo Traditional Teachings about Epidemics

This is some very good information about epidemics in the past.  Elder Wally Brown does a good job talking about Navajo terms involving epidemics.  Great Job Wally!  Nizhoniyee'!

The innovative Jini underwear mask

This is some funny practical advice for making a mask.  I would suggest adding a filter.  Someone said use a coffee filter.  I suggest using one or two fabric sheets or dried-out wipes.  Whatever your method, protect yourself and others.  Nizhoni.

Protect yourself at the Grocery Store - Corona Advice

Yuhauca Knowledge Distribution

The Navajo Nation President has issued a Stay-At-Home order, but a lot of people are complaining that there’s still alot of people at the stores. They ask for a complete lock down. On the other hand, the people at the stores are saying that they need to buy food and groceries and other necessities.

Here’s some Corona Tips:

Stay at home. Don’t let your kids walk around the community. Don’t endanger the lives of others.

If you need groceries or other necessities, send one person to the store. Get as much supplies as possible, but don't hoard all the supplies, to decrease the number of trips to the store.  Since the store will limit your purchases, vary your purchases.  Instead of buying two Orange Juices, get 1 OJ and 1 lemonade.  The less trips to the store, the less risk of exposure to the virus.

When going to the store, take protective and precautionary measures:

• Wear a mask - If there's no mask, use a scarf or bandana to cover your mouth and nose. To make a filter, place one or two dryer sheets between the folds of the scarf. This is better than nothing. It protects you if others are sick, and it protects others if you are sick. Preferably, wash after every use. 
• Wear gloves - If there's no gloves, use wipes or hand sanitizer. If there's none, wash your hands immediately after visiting the store, preferable before returning back to your vehicle. 
• Wipe down the purchased goods - Use wipes. If there's none, use a cloth dipped in hot water with dish detergent and a cap of bleach. Keep this cloth handy, soaked in detergent to wipe your hands when you get back to the vehicle, the door handles, steering wheel, gear shift, your cell phone, your credit card, your keys, and other things you touch. 
• Wash your body - Immediately after visiting the store, take a hot shower and scrub your body down with soap and water, especially the exposed parts of your body, such as your face and hair. This is what the nurses in the front lines practice. 
• Wash your clothes - Immediately after visiting the store, wash your clothes.

I have heard that the virus is composed of very small particles. The small particles have an outer protective layer of fat (lipid) protecting the center. Soap breaks down that grease and is able to destroy the center. I have heard that heat also destroys the virus at 130 degrees. This may be true because the heat melts the fat and exposes the center of the virus particle, destroying the virus. Some people recommend standing next to the fire, taking a sweat bath, and drinking hot tea. I have also heard that drinking Ts'ah raises your immunity.

If you have to go to the  store for food, these practices will help increase your chances of staying alive for your loved ones.  They say that most people who get the virus survive, but why risk it?

Traditional medicine for the elders

The Lakota are supplying Native herbs to their elders during this corona pandemic.  (“Volunteers supplying elders with plant-based Lakota remedies”)  For the Dine, that plant seems to be ts’ah that increases elder immunity.

Surgeon General: "It's going to get bad"

The Surgeon General of the United States says this week is going to get bad.  Here on Navajo, we need to keep reverent and stay inside.  I just wonder why we need to donate blood for this respiratory illness?  Something doesn't smell right.

This is what happens at Revivals

The recent Corona outbreak occurred at a revival like this one, but in Chilchinbito (the Chilchinbeto Church of the Nazarene Zone Rally on March 7).  Pretty crazy.  I wonder how many traditional people are in this video (traditional people who use Christianity as a disguise).  Reminds me of a mosh pit.  President Nez needs to discourage these harmful gatherings.  I heard the pastor from Cameron is nowhere to be found.  (COVID comes to Cameron)

Council Delegate Freeland on Corona

Finally, our leadership is urging us to protect ourselves.  Nizhoni!

Some Corona prevention suggestions for our leaders

Right now, everybody is inside.  People are going out only for groceries and gas.  Here are some tips to implement for our reservation.

Grocery stores and other frequently attended buildings

• Require masks - Don't let people in unless they are wearing masks
• Thermometer check using wand - Don't let anybody in who has a fever
• Handsanitizer stations at the front - Require everybody to use handsanitizer before entering
• No bunching up when the store or building opens - A clerk announces to people to spread apart
• Require workers to use gloves and masks.  

Gas stations

• Somebody pumps gas for people so that there  is no contact with gas pumps.  
• Payment by card which gets wiped.  

These measures requires mass distribution of masks and handsanitizers, but this will create a dent in the spread of the disease. A particularly strong leader can make this happen.

First two deaths from Corona on Navajo, 26 positive, Church revival outbreak

The Navajo Times has reported that two untested people have died of respiratory symptoms.  We can conclude that "respiratory symptoms" means "Covid 19".  Most definitely we will be hearing more from Western Navajo.

Shi Dine'e, this is serious.  Please listen to the instructions to stay in.  The disease is deadly, it spreads easy, and it is very hard  to track it because of lack of resources.  The IHS may be turning people away if they exhaust their resources.  The newspapers reports that Kayenta IHS is turning people away.  Stay alive, stay inside.

What can we do to help?

People who have skills and technical expertise can help to address the hospital shortages.  Now is a time we need to work together to try to help people survive.   Some businesses are stepping up like Harbor Freights who donated all its masks to the hospitals.  The businesses need to step up and help the Navajo people since we give them a lot of money.

We need hospitals for the sick.  The hospitals say they are short of the following  supplies:

• Face masks - (How to make a face mask tutorial on Youtube).  Don't forget to use  the right filter that filters out the virus particles  (3 microns)
• Gloves - Urge your Council Delegate to make a law for Navajo Nation to mass produce rubber gloves at its glove factory.
• Gowns - Purchase and donate large trash bags to the hospital.
• Ventilators - One group of doctors and engineers in Phoenix are trying  to make homemade ventilators using vacuum cleaners. (Picture on right)  People who know 3D printing can also create respirators. (Meet The Italian Engineers 3D-Printing Respirator Parts For Free To Help Keep Coronavirus Patients Alive)

• Beds

These are suggestions to help the hospital.

But we also need to prepare for the situation where hospitals start rejecting sick people.  We have to take care of sick patients ourselves.  Nursing students would be helpful here.

In doing these activities, be sure to practice safe protective measure to avoid getting sick.  

Understanding the Corvid virus

Life matters

This is a deadly disease.  The mortality rate of this disease is 3.4%.  That means that 1 out every 29 people who get the virus will die.  From New York, the main people who are dying are

• the elder (70+ years old) and 
• those with underlying health conditions (of all ages).  

One major factor that increases the death rate is

• younger people getting the disease and transmitting it to others.

This is why it is important to try to stop the spread.

The frontline healthcare workers are very brave to work directly with those infected. They risk their own lives.  China said Italy made the same mistake as China by not protecting their health care workers.  It is very important that health care workers get personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks, gloves, goggles, and gowns.  

Very fast

The disease is very contagious.  The disease spreads really quickly.  For every person that gets it, they come into contact with about 10 more people.  This disease increases exponentially.  In Navajo, we jumped from 3 to 14 in three days, then to 26 in a couple more days.  By next week Navajo will probably have more than a hundred.  

Social way of life

Our society is very social.  We like our freedoms to move around freely.  We get offended when someone infringes on our freedom.  Many people don't listen to the warning to stay in.  Some people continue to drive around in the communities, walk around in groups, continue to sell at the flee-market grounds.  This disease is ideal to spread for these type of activities.

One suggestion is for the Nidaa' announcers to drive around in loudspeakers urging people to stay inside and to give hope to the people. 

Our society is particularly vulnerable since there are many elders in our communities.  Many of these elders carry vast storage of knowledge of culture and language which we are losing fast in the bigger picture.  

National Leadership

I wish that our federal leadership could do more.  President Trump told the states that they are on their own.  New York is in desperate need for medical supplies.  Without the supplies, the severely sick are left to die.  When New York tried to bid for medical supplies, Trump outbidded the states to withhold the medical supplies from thousands of dying New Yorkers.  ("The federal government outbid states on critical coronavirus supplies after Trump told governors to get their own medical equipment")  Trumps wants the businesses to make these profits.

No monitoring of disease

In the US, there are not enough test kits.  Test kits allow us to monitor the disease.  The kits allow us to know where the hot spots are so resources can be used in those areas to limit the spread of disease.  Without monitoring, we cannot fight the disease.  

Inaccurate numbers

An earlier Navajo Times article said, "According to the NMDOH, 3,814 citizens were tested and out of that, 43 tested positive. In Arizona, 343 citizens were tested, with 44 testing positive."  ("McKinley County confirms first coronavirus case")  Therefore, New Mexico is testing 10 times as much as Arizona and that is due to the test kit shortage.  The number in Arizona is not accurate.  For every positive case in Arizona, there are probably 3 or 4 more people positive that could be going to the store or to carry-outs.  

A critical race

We need to understand that this is a critical time.  We need to realize that the decisions that are made will determine how much this virus will impact us.  In the most recent Navajo Times article announcing 26 positive cases, the IHS Navajo Area Director stated that she sent 45 heath care workers home in Kayenta.  She said in Kayenta the IHS will start sending away sick people who go to the hospital because the hospital has used up its limited resources.

"Roselyn Tso, Navajo Area IHS director, said they have less than 30 days of supplies left and that will only decrease with more cases. During Friday’s special Navajo Nation Council session Tso said she had to send home 45 staff from Kayenta hospital, and it has impacted services to the point of the hospital having to turn people away from being tested."

That means if you get sick, the hospital may not be available to provide any emergency care.  That is why President Nez is urging us to avoid getting sick by staying inside. 

President Nez's leadership emerging during emergency

Yesterday I watched some of the Council proceedings.  I watched President Jonathan Nez and I.H.S. Navajo Area Director Roselynn Tso.  President Nez is beginning to show some good leadership in keeping his people informed, trying to get the Council to become functional, being a role model in wearing protective equipment and urging the People to stay inside to stop the virus spread.  Roselynn Tso presented to the Council the needs of the Navajo Area I.H.S.  She is doing a super job!  For the Council members, try to understand what is going on.  It is important that you work together - Ahilna'anish.  That is more important now than any other  time.  Approve money for the critical needs, especially for the health care workers and the supplies they need.  Overall, good job to the Navajo leadership.  Yeego yeego!

Corona to 14 on Navajo.

The number just turned to 14.  New cases in Chinle and Shiprock.  We must remember that this thing increases EXPONENTIALLY.  That means the number of digits increases in just 2-3 days.  On Sunday, the number will probably be higher near at, or above 100.  The number of ICU beds on the Navajo IHS is 170. Take this seriously and stay in for the sake of our community. Now would be a good time to learn how to pray.

Covid 19 symptoms

The Fearing Time is here - Coronavirus first case on Navajo

It is here.  The Navajo Nation confirmed its first case of Coronavirus from Kayenta, Arizona.  A 46-year old male from Chilchinbito returned from Phoenix tested positive for the deadly disease.

This was the announcement from the Navajo President's Facebook page:

Member of the Navajo Nation tests positive for COVID-19 coronavirus

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. – On Tuesday, Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer were informed by the Navajo Department of Health that a 46-year-old member of the Navajo Nation with recent travel history tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus, which is the first confirmed case involving a member of the Navajo Nation.

The Arizona Department of Health confirmed the positive test result from an individual from the community of Chilchinbeto, Ariz., who first reported their symptoms to the Kayenta Health Center in Kayenta, Ariz. The individual was taken to a hospital in Phoenix, Ariz. where the test was conducted. Health and emergency officials are taking the proper precautions to screen and isolate the person’s family members...

For many people, this is reality hitting home. It's just no longer in the media.  It's here, and soon it will be in your community.  The disease, although it has a low mortality rate, makes us realize our mortal nature as humans.  Many tribal employees are scared.

The fearing time has returned.

Our grandparents dealt with it successfully, as a result, we are here.

We need to do what they did and use our traditional teachings, methods, and practices.  This is why it is important to know your language and culture.  This is why it is important that our government and people uphold the traditional Dine ways.  Without these Dine ways, we are no longer Dine.  The 2015 elections involved a language vote which voted down the language, and it was not a good thing.  This virus might be the result, a sort of teaching.

Some communities are practicing their traditions of holding traditional ceremonies for this type of situation.  Some medicine practitioners are stepping forward for this pandemic.  I heard that there are ceremonies in Window Rock, Dilkon, Red Mesa, and towards New Mexico, like Newcomb.

At this point, I guess we'll see how things go.  I hope that Dine don't die.

Yeeniis be like...

Corona Virus way bigger than reported

The Corona Virus is getting big.  The official count in the United States is over 1,800 jini.  One professor from John Hopkins said that the 1800 is not accurate. ("Don't believe the numbers you see": Johns Hopkins professor says up to 500,000 Americans have coronavirus) He said that the 1800 is the number of people who have gotten tested and confirmed.  As of the past two weeks, Donald Trump was telling us that there were test kits, but when people went to the hospitals, there were no test kits.  So the government is not testing people.  The state governments were complaining about the same issues with the federal government.  At the very least, the feds are not keeping up with the spread rate of the disease.  The professor estimates that for every one person confirmed positive, there are probably 40-50 other people who have contracted the disease.  Therefore, the number is actually way higher, perhaps as much as half a million.

Considering how the federal government is not transparent regarding the test kits, most people do not trust the government.  So I believe the John Hopkins professor.

Around the four corners:

• 9 in AZ
• 10 in NM
• 3 in UT
• 33 in CO. 

For the most part, it is the travelers who are contracting the disease in foreign lands, then they are bringing the virus home, and from there, it just spreads. They are contracting the disease in places like China, Italy, Egypt, Washington, and New York.  What can we do about the travelers? 

Corona advice, Past epidemics, and the Holy People

I'm no health expert, but my common sense advice about the Corona virus is to stay home as much as possible. It does you no good to go out into the public contracting some disease that will jeopardize your life, family and community.  Zero percent is better than 3 or 4 percent death rate.  Then when I think about it, it's not really the Navajo people that travel, it's our elected leadership that travel to Las Vegas, Washington D.C., New York City, and Israel.  The average Navajo does not travel to these places.

There have been many epidemics in the past throughout human history.  Throughout European history, masses of Bilagana have died due to various diseases such as "Black Plague" in Europe and Asia in the 1300's. That was a very devastating disease.

In the Native American history, America was actually Native America.  The land was filled with millions of Native Americans from the New York shores to the shores of California. Then the European smallpox disease wiped out many of our tribes to a devastating degree which was how the Europeans stole the land from the Native Americans.

Among Navajoland, we have experienced epidemics ranging from tuberculosis to influenza in the early 1900's.  Later in the 1990's, the Hanta Virus came which did not kill that many people.  At that time, many of our traditional medicine people said that more diseases are coming to Navajo because most Navajos are no longer traditional and have lost touch with being Dine.  Most Dine no longer speak the Holy language, no longer say their prayers, and no longer make the Holy offerings. Without the language and offerings, we lose touch with our Gods, and the diseases "win" the people.  Nobody is really saying this anymore in 2020, probably because those wise people who use to be vocal about that in the 1990's have passed.  Absent in today's discussion of the Corona virus by our Navajo leaders is the traditional perspective. (Navajo Nation establishes Preparedness Team)  All our branch leaders have gone Christian.  In 1996, thousands of Dine made offerings in the footprints of Holy People who visited a Navajo elderly couple in Big Mountain on Black Mesa. As we go further, we are losing our language and our traditions. This may be another reason for the current Corona disease that's becoming a pandemic.

These epidemics are not new. Our ancestors dealt with it, now it's own turn.  It was bahadzid then, and it is bahadzid now.  The best way to deal with it practically is to stay out of its way by staying home as much as possible in these next few weeks and maybe months.

Professor Scott challenges Professor Denny about Navajo Religion

In this weeks Navajo Times, Dr. Tacheeni Scott, a Navajo professor, wrote an interesting response ("Letter to the Editor: Yes we need to reclaim our minds") to an earlier article about Navajo Dine College professor and Medicine Man Dr. Avery Denny, ("Hataali: Elders' predictions of chaos coming true"). The article is about how we are losing our language and traditions, and Dr. Denny encouraging our Dine people to relearn their traditional ways. I thought it was a very good article that needs more attention and discussion by our leaders and the general Dine population. We are faced with a lot of problems today such as racism, alcoholism, gender identity issues, violence, and missing people. Dr. Denny says the philosophy of Sa’ah Naagháí Bik’eh Hózhóón can help us solve these social problems. Dr. Scott says he agrees with Dr. Denny about "reclaiming our mind", but Dr. Scott seemed to disagree with Dr. Denny that "Sa’ah Naagháí Bik’eh Hózhóón" is a philosophy.

To try to gain some credibility, termed by Dr. Scott as a "right to question" Dr. Denny, Dr. Scott says he was raised by his father who was a medicine man.

Dr. Scott then says his elders in the 1920's taught him to never participate in the Peyote NAC ways. Dr. Scott says the Peyote practitioners also use that term, "Sa’ah Naagháí Bik’eh Hózhóón", in their ceremonies. Then out from left field, Dr. Scott says that term, "Sa’ah Naagháí Bik’eh Hózhóón", means "God" and recites how the Christian Bible describes "God".

I wondered why Dr. Scott treated the NAC Peyote way like a foreign disease, but not the Christian Bible way? The Christian Bible way is also foreign just like the NAC Peyote way. I did not understand that.

I though about how Dr. Denny and Dr. Scott are both professors at prestigious colleges, NAU and Dine College (Dr. Scott might not actually be at NAU now). Dr. Scott has a doctor's degree. Dr. Denny does not have a doctor's degree, but nonetheless, he is a college professor, and more substantially, Dr. Denny is a medicine man, which Dr. Scott is not. In deciding who has more credibility between these two educated men, I guess it comes down to individual values on whether you value western education or traditional Navajo education more. For this issue on what "Sa’ah Naagháí Bik’eh Hózhóón" means, that term comes from the Navajo traditional ceremonial context. Dr. Denny is the expert in the Navajo traditional ceremonial context more so than Dr. Scott. If the question was concerning microbiology, then I would give more credibility to Dr. Scott, but microbiology is not the issue here.

This exchange between the two Navajo professors also raises a major problem in our Dine society that may be the cause of our Dine society not progressing, being stuck, and just deteriorating away with assimilation. Our major problem is that our people are too factioned (i.e., divided) into the three religions on the Navajo reservation: Christian, Native American Church, and Traditional Navajo. If you study your history, you realize that Christianity and NAC are foreign and newcomers onto Dine Bikeya. Traditional Navajo has always been there with the Dine from the beginning.

Overall, I thought it was a good discussion by both professors. They both did a great job raising some important issues.  Great job Navajo Times!