White House COVID-19 exposed staff met with Navajo Council, dedicated Navajo school where there was uncontrolled community spread

Navajo Vice President Myron Lizer met with federal officials at Navajo Nation Council on Oct. 27.

White House COVID-19 exposed staff met with Navajo Council, dedicated Navajo school where there was uncontrolled community spread

Update Nov. 14: Coronavirus spread through White House at election night gathering.

White House spread of virus

Update Nov. 7: White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, and five others, have tested positive for coronavirus, as the virus continues to spread through the White House. On Oct. 27, senior White House officials were at the Navajo Council Chambers, hosted by the Council and Vice President Myron Lizer. The White House delegation dedicated a Navajo school at Birdsprings the next day. On Saturday, Nov. 7, the Navajo Nation reported a surge in coronavirus cases, with 158 new cases. Now, 591 Navajos have died from the virus.

Read more: Washington Post: Six new coronavirus infections at White House around Election Day.

By Brenda Norrell
Censored News

Nov. 4, 2020

While the coronavirus spread through the White House, a White House delegation met with the Navajo Nation government and attended a dedication of the Little Singer School at Birdsprings on the Navajo Nation, where there is an uncontrolled community spread of COVID-19.

After the Trump family was infected with COVID-19, the coronavirus spread through the White House. During the days before the White House staff came to the Navajo Nation, five of Vice President Pence's staff were infected on Oct. 24, CNBC reported.

Instead of observing quarantine for exposure, the White House staff came to the Navajo Nation Council on Tuesday, Oct. 27. There was "uncontrolled spread" of coronavirus in 29 Navajo communities, as revealed in a statement today.

Today, in a delayed press release, the Navajo President's Office revealed uncontrolled spread in Navajo communities from Oct. 16 -- 29, including Birdsprings, located in Arizona in the southwest corner of the Navajo Nation. The media did not receive the statement until today, Nov. 4, after the election.

The White House staff and Navajo Nation officials were at Birdsprings community for the dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Little Singer Community School completed earlier this year.

From the White House, Assistant to President Trump Jennie Lichter was among those who spoke at the school dedication on Oct. 28, the Navajo Nation Council said in a press statement.

Although masks can help prevent the spread of coronavirus, masks are not 100 percent protection from contracting coronavirus.

The delayed press statement on the uncontrolled spread of COVID-19 in Navajo communities for Oct. 16 --29, was released to the media today by the Navajo President's Office, on  Nov. 4, after the election.

Now, there is an upswing in both cases of coronavirus and deaths on the Navajo Nation.

There were 72 new cases and two more deaths Tuesday on the Navajo Nation. On Wednesday, there were 131 new cases of coronavirus.

Now, 586 Navajos have died from the virus. More than 4,300 Navajos have the virus and have not recovered as of today, the Navajo Nation reports.

Hardship assistance results in more hardship

Meanwhile, Dine' desperate for assistance struggled to apply for hardship assistance. First, Navajo elderly and disabled were turned away in the cold at chapter houses due to the lack of paper applications. Then, when the online applications began on Nov. 2, the website crashed. 

Although $714 million was received by the Navajo government five months ago in CARES ACT emergency virus relief funds, it has not been distributed to Navajo in need. 

Now, with time running out to spend the funds, the Navajo government has allocated $49 million of this amount for hardship relief. The amount is $1,500 for adults, and $500 for children. It is not enough to stretch to 300,000 enrolled Navajos. The deadline to apply is Nov. 30.

The Navajo government gave $24 million of the CARES Act virus relief funds to its casinos in August.

Meanwhile, there is no uniform delivery of food and water by the Navajo government to the homes of Dine' in quarantine, Navajo elderly or those too sick to care for themselves. There is no widespread visiting home health care for the dying in the 110 Navajo chapters.

The Navajo Police Department set up road checkpoints over the weekend. While the Navajo government told Navajos to lock down and stay home, there is no uniform delivery of food and water to the homes of those in quarantine or to those too sick to care for themselves.

White House COVID-19 exposed staff met with Hopi and Salt River leaders

The White House said in a statement that Trump's senior staff and the federal delegation met with leaders of the Hopi Tribe to announce a water quality project and met with leaders of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community to tour the construction of the River People Health Center, on Oct. 28.

The White House delegation met with Hopi leaders in Flagstaff on Oct. 28. Read article.

Delegation put lives at risk

At Little Singer School, the Navajo Nation Council said the delegation from D.C. included Office of Justice Programs Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine Sullivan, Indian Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Economic Development Mark Cruz, Assistant to the President and Director of White House Intergovernmental Affairs Douglas Hoelscher, Department of Veterans Affairs Under Secretary for Benefits Paul R. Lawrence, Department of Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Eric Hargan, Indian Health Service (IHS) Director RADM Michael D. Weahkee and Navajo Area Indian Health Services deputy director CAPT Brian K. Johnson, according to the Navajo Nation Council.

White House list of delegation

The White House listed the Navajo Nation Government leaders who participated in Tuesday’s meetings included:

Myron Lizer, Honorable Vice President, Navajo Nation
Dottie Lizer, Second Lady, Navajo Nation
Seth Damon, Speaker of the Navajo Nation Council
Delegate Daniel Tso, Committee Chair, Health Education and Human Services, Navajo Nation Council
Delegate Eugenia Charles Newton, Committee Chair, Law and Order Committee, Navajo Nation Council
Delegate Jamie Henio, Committee Chair, Budget and Finance Committee, Navajo Nation Council
Delegate Rickie Nez, Committee Chair, Resources and Development Committee, Navajo Nation Council
Delegate Amber K. Crotty, Committee Chair, Sexual Assault Prevention Committee, Navajo Nation Council
Delegate Kee Allen Begay Jr., Committee Chair, TIBC Transportation Committee, Navajo Nation Council
Federal Government leaders who participated in Tuesday’s meetings included:
Doug Hoelscher, Assistant to the President & Director, White House Intergovernmental Affairs
Jennie Lichter, Deputy Assistant to the President, White House Domestic Policy Council
Eric Hargan, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS)
Paul Lawrence, Under Secretary, Veterans Benefits Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Tara Sweeney, Assistant Secretary, Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI)
Jeannie Hovland, Commissioner, Administration for Native Americans and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Native American Affairs (ACF), HHS
Rear Admiral Michael Weahkee, Director, Indian Health Service (IHS), HHS
Katie Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Office of Justice Programs, Co-Chair Designee Lady Justice, U.S Department of Justice (DOJ)
Mark Cruz, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Economic Development, Indian Affairs, DOI

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