McKinley Mutual Aid volunteers bring relief to Dine' in Ojo Encino, New Mexico

McKinley Mutual Aid's all volunteer team caravaning nearly 100 food boxes, water, bleach and masks to Torreon, Ojo Encino and Pueblo Pintado, New Mexico, on Tuesday.

'Took a 4-truck caravan and 6 hours of driving, but successfully delivered food boxes, water, bleach and ppe for 50 families in Ojo Encino today (along with an additional 40 for Pueblo Pintado/Whitehorse chapters). Big thank you to our volunteer drivers!' -- McKinley Mutual Aid in McKinley County, New Mexico. McKinley County includes portions of the eastern Navajo Nation in New Mexico, along with Zuni Pueblo and the border town of Gallup, New Mexico.

Below: Preparing for deliveries during May.

Collaborative effort of all-volunteer grassroots effort receives $115,000 in relief funds for Dine' and Ashiwi

Our Indigenous Lifeways

Welcome, Yá'át'ééh , Hola, Keshi,

We are currently processing Rapid Response requests through the McKinley Mutual Aid, a Health and  Help network for the McKinley Community of Northwest New Mexico. Geographically our service area includes all communities of McKinley County including the Sovereign Indigenous Nations of the Navajo (Diné ) and Zuni (Ashiwi) peoples, as well as those neighboring communities on the borders, in which we share resources, relatives and our lived communal experiences.
McKinley Mutual Aid Accomplishments:
Fundraising Highlights
Raised over $85,000 in Grants and Private Donors: $10,000, Seventh Generation; $10,000, NDN Collective; 15,000 Decolonizing Wealth; $5,000 New Mexico Women; $10,000 Javier Martinez, $24,000 Paypal; $2,000 from Indigenous Lifeways; $1,000 First Born [soon to be $5k] 5,000 Private Donor, 30,000 Tarbell Charitable Fund, Recognition of Vanessa Roanhorse.
Over 30,000 in Paypal.
In total McKinley Mutual Aid has raised over $115,000.
Masks: 210 Masks from Constance Parng and Sewing Group, 500 plus on the way; 100 Masks from Brenda H.; 50 plus Masks from Willcita C.; 12 boxes- 12 count of Tanka Bars.

Impact Highlights
Chopped, hauled and delivered 5 truck loads of wood; procured 5 large truck loads (U-hauls) of food, water and baby supplies; distributed supplies to nearly 500 families through our Rapid Response Efforts.
Partner Highlights
Collaborated with Strengthening Nations and the United Methodist Church of Gallup to utilize their church as a distribution and storage center.
Partnered with First Born, Growing in Beauty and Avenues Early Childhood to distribute baby supplies to families.
100 percent of funds are used for materials and gas money.
0% overhead--all volunteer!

For aid:
If you need help in filling out this form or would like translation services in Navajo (Diné Bizaad) or Spanish (en español).
Please feel free to call our MMA Help/Connection hotline
505-862-9799 or
Email mutualaid@mckinleyhealthalliance.org

Kinlani Mutual Aid delivers relief to Black Mesa

Photos by Klee Benally, Dine'

Kinlani Mutual Aid delivers relief to Black Mesa 

Mercury Bitsuie, Dine', said, "Just would like to give a big thanks to all the relatives in the frontlines making a huge effort to support one another, whether it's making homemade masks and hand sanitizers, delivering food or water to our elders, to checking up on one another or just to be staying home and to all the support we were blessed with. Big thanks to the relatives from the Taalahooghan Infoshop for donating food and supplies so that we can transport to our relatives out in the Rocky Ridge areas. Big thanks to my uncle Andy Dann as well as his crew for distributing it out to the community and a big thanks to the relatives from Ft Collins, Colorado, for the truckload of food, I was able to get it all delivered yesterday on Memorial Day. Once again thank you all for your support and have a wonderful day!" 

Photos below by Mercury Bitsuie, published with permission.

The Kinlani Mutual Aid based in Flagstaff, Arizona, along with Diné Land and Water, and Diné Healers Relief are working together and coordinating supply distribution for remote Black Mesa and Hopi Partitioned Lands. Klee Benally said, "We follow stringent protocols to ensure the well-being of those were supporting and our volunteers. This week, volunteers packed 50 boxes, which include flour, bleach, masks, and hand sanitizers in this load. "We're stronger when we work together," Benally said.

More:

www.indigenousmutualaid.org, www.kinlanimutualaid.org, www.navajohopisolidarity.org

Navajo and Hopi Relief on Hopiland: Photos by Hopi Lilian Hill

Navajo Hopi Families COVID-19 Relief has surpassed its goals and raised $4.2 million in donations. Along with people from around the world, the people of Ireland have donated for this relief, out of gratitude for the Choctaw's donation to the Irish in the days of the potato famine. On Tuesday, Hopi delivered food and supplies in Orayvi Village. Cassandra Begay said, "This work took careful coordination by our Hopi Team Leads Pam Lalo and Lilian Hill in partnership with the Orayvi Village Board of Directors. Thank you very much to Orayvi Village volunteers for all of their hard work and dedication. Without your time and energy this work wouldn’t be possible." Photo credit and description: Hopi Co-Lead Lilian Hill

Lilian Hill said, "Thank you to Navajo and Hopi Families Covid-19 Relief Effort! With donations from the COVID-19 Relief fund, the Hopi Mutual Aid Team, in partnership with Village leaders and local volunteers, helped distribute food to the entire Village of Orayvi. Askwali to volunteers, the Village of Hotevilla, and those who have contributed to the fund and shared the campaign."

Vanessa Tullie, Dine' purchasing food and supplies, said, "Our food boxes are the best!
We take the time to  sterilize everything before it is handed out."

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Please visit the website to donate, volunteer and request support: www.navajohopisolidarity.org. 
 https://www.gofundme.com/f/NHFC19Relief 
You can send in-kind donations of thread and needles for the seamstresses making masks to Taala Hooghan Infoshop, c/o Navajo/Hopi Relief, 1704 N. Second St, Flagstaff, Arizona 86004.

Diné and Hopi residents can also call toll-free to request support: 1-833-956-1554.
Cassandra Begay
Email: navahopicovid.smedia@gmail.com
www.navajohopisolidarity.org

Emergency Mobile Pantry in Zuni, New Mexico, gears up for June!

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Above: Donated masks

By Zowie Banteah-Yuselew

Emergency Mobile Pantry in Zuni, New Mexico

Censored News

As we gear up for June, it's great to reflect on our journey thus far. We started on April 12th with 25 care packages and last Thursday and Friday combined was our eleventh distribution with 265 care packages! We received over 100 plus messages in one day so we know the need is great. We have a little bit over a month to continue our Facebook Charity page which we hope carries us through July. We are glad to continue to help and very fortunate to be able to. It's a lot of heart work and great learning experiences for all of us including our volunteers. Thank you donors for being super caring people for the support and all the people across the US sending donations through mail, we want to acknowledge you for your efforts. We plan to continue these efforts as long as we have donations and supplies. Elahkwa, thank you again for helping us by donating!
Raised $41,390. The goal is $50,000.

Donate and read more on Facebook at:

https://www.facebook.com/donate/218034389544327/252330342781398/
Mailing address for donations:
Zowie Banteah
16C Tekala Drive
Zuni, NM 87327

Navajo medical masks were part of White House contracting scam and may not work

A worker checks a medical N95 mask at a mask factory in southwest China's Chongqing, Feb 17, 2020. (WANG QUANCHAO/XINHUA)

By Brenda Norrell

Censored News

Medical masks sent to the Navajo Nation were part of a White House contract scam. The masks were secured by a former White House aide who obtained a contract with the Indian Health Service and purchased those from China, ProPublica reports.

"A former White House aide won a $3 million federal contract to supply respirator masks to Navajo Nation hospitals in New Mexico and Arizona 11 days after he created a company to sell personal protective equipment in response to the coronavirus pandemic," ProPublica reported on Friday.

The masks provided were Chinese-made KN95s, the Chinese alternative to N95s.

U.S. regulators said the first week of April that these offer inadequate protection.

On Friday, the Navajo Nation reported a total of 4,529 cases of coronavirus. There have been 149 deaths.

Mashpee Wampanoag ask judge today to halt Trump's removal of land from trust

Mashpee Wampanoag ask a federal judge today to halt Trump's removal of land from trust

By Brenda Norrell

Censored News

Watch video: 

https://www.facebook.com/mwtribe/videos/579806562722142/?t=3

Cedric Cromwell, Chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Nation, said Mashpee Wampanoag are asking a federal judge today to halt the Trump administration from removing its status as a Native Nation.

Chairman Cromwell said, "Our Tribe, the same tribe that is celebrated on Thanksgiving for our historic role in the founding of this country, filed a preliminary injunction/temporary restraining order against the Department of Interior to halt its efforts to disestablish our Tribe's reservation."