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.)
