Indigenous Peoples and Human Rights

April 23, 2020

Kinlani Flagstaff Mutual Aid sending aid to Navajo and Hopi as donations arrive at Taala Hooghan Infoshop




Photos courtesy Klee Benally
Censored News

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. -- The volunteer crew with Kinlani/Flagstaff Mutual Aid are supporting Navajo and Hopi Family Relief at Taala Hooghan Infoshop in Flagstaff, Ariz. During April, supplies bound for Navajo and Hopi on the Navajo and Hopi Nations arrived in Flagstaff for delivery.

Actor Jason Momoa donated a truckload of water, and Dr. Bronners sent soaps and hand sanitizers. Supplies arriving included fresh food, masks and cleaning supplies. Can'd Aid donated water which was delivered to Tuba City.


Klee Benally said, "This is what we call Solidarity, not Charity. Unsheltered relatives preparing wellness kits for each other, organizing clothing distribution, and planning actions for their wellbeing. We're gearing up thanks to all y'all who've donated (even Dr. Bronners for Navajo and Hopi Families Relief)!" Check out www.kinlanimutualaid.org or donate via PayPal: indigenousaction@gmail.com


On Wednesday, Klee Benally said, "Unloaded 250 gallons/2,000 lbs of hand sanitizer for Navajo Hopi COVID 19 Relief today. Now to find 8-16oz spray bottles to fill and distribute!"

Klee said, "This system failed us long before COVID-19. We cannot talk about bringing our people up through this crisis without organizing to tear this system down. As mutual aid efforts spread to radically redistribute resources, we also have to redistribute power. We have to understand how capitalism and colonialism are founded on the material deprivations of our communities. We also have to understand how resource colonialism has impacted out bodies and compromised our immune systems.

"If we truly want to honor our Mother Earth, this means attacking capitalism, white supremacy, hetero-patriarchy, and colonialism at its roots. Unless these root ideologies are done away with, we condemn ourselves and future generations to non-existence. Capitalism is not sustainable, it's a virus. Colonialism is a plague."




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Photos: Load of fruit and handwashing stations going to Chilchinbito. Jessica from Navajo Hopi Relief hauling canned water to Leupp with Kinlani Mutual Aid volunteer support. Dr. Bronner soap and hand sanitizer in food boxes being prepped for distribution in Leupp. Ahe'hee' to all the volunteers with Kinłani Mutual Aid for holding it down and supporting the relief efforts and to everyone who has donated! 


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Actor Jason Momoa said, "SUPER STOKED AND PROUD TO DELIVER Mananalu Water. We sent a full truckload (20,000 cans) of Mananalu water to the Navajo Nation. My water company is still small but I’m doing what I can to help those that need it the most. MAHALO NUI @theellenshow for helping us spread the aloha. Thanks to the Navajo and Hopi Families COVID-19 Relief campaign for helping us distribute our water to the families. This is a grassroots effort led by a group of Navajo women who work 14 hours a day with no pay in order to raise funds and support for Navajo families in need during this terrible pandemic."

"That’s amazing. Native American tribes are among the highest risk communities during the coronavirus pandemic, and a lot of them haven’t gotten the resources they need to fight the virus. This includes medical equipment and basic goods like food and clean water. About 40 percent of the residents live in rural areas and have little to no access to running water. They’re literally living in a 'food desert' with very few grocery stores and the land is very spread out. Many families have to travel several miles just to haul water," Momoa said.



Volunteer crew with Kinlani/Flagstaff Mutual Aid supporting Navajo and Hopi Family Relief unloading 43,000 lbs of canned water.

Read more about Navajo Hopi COVID 19 Relief at Censored News:

TÓ NANEESDIZÍ, DINÉTAH, (TUBA CITY, NAVAJO NATION) — As COVID-19 cases on the Navajo Nation reach 1,042 with 41 deaths, the Navajo and Hopi Families COVID-19 Relief Fund is building momentum to address a food and water crisis in the area with support from actor Jason Momoa. A massive truck carrying 28 pallets with 1,540 cases of water was sent by Momoa to Tó naneesdizí (Tuba City) on Tuesday.

A group of volunteers led by Lt. Robbin Preston, Tuba City Distribution Team Leader for the Navajo and Hopi Families COVID-19 Relief Effort, unloaded the donation and prepared it for immediate distribution throughout the crisis-stricken area.

"Water is life and shapes lives and the earth; it’s the power we draw life from," said Lt. Preston.

Momoa, who is Native Hawaiian, heard about the Relief Fund through an article and offered a large donation of water through his company, Mananalu Pure Water, which is an effort to end single-use plastic drinking bottles and their devastating impacts on the environment. According to the company’s website Mananalu means “a powerful wave of the sacred spirit of life.” -- Cassandra Begay

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