Navajo Nation faces battle to protect elders and traditions as deaths rise from Covid-19

“Everywhere we go, we are notified,” Jones said.

Keep culture alive

A traditional physician and world-renowned hoop dancer, Jones is recognized by the state of Arizona as a living treasure of the Arizona Indians. His family don’t know his exact age, but they estimate him to be 90 based on his recollections of the events.

Jeneda and Clayson, along with their brother Klee, learned Dine, “the traditional Navajo language, as well as culture and science from their father.” Now, with enough time at home, Jones works with his children to pass this knowledge on to the grandchildren. One of their frequent activities is taking nature walks to learn about medicinal plants.

“I try to make it a multisensory experience,” said Jeneda, who has two daughters. “You know, we go into the forest and I’m like, what do you see that you can eat?” What do you see here that is medicine?

Due to the pandemic, Jeneda, a practitioner of traditional medicine, has had to stop seeing patients. It’s not the only profession she takes a break from – she and Clayson haven’t performed as their band, Sihasin, in months.

But the award-winning punk-rock duo took advantage of their online platform to share their cultural knowledge with members of the Navajo community and beyond. They host Facebook Live concerts, post informational videos on YouTube, and participate in online events for Native American causes.

“We want to use this as a platform to grab the attention of young people, to remind them, hey, the culture is cool,” Jeneda said.

However, the Benally siblings are aware of the information they post on the internet.

“There is a history of exploitation and of people taking advantage of sacred and ceremonial knowledge,” Clayson said. “How much can we share? You know, it’s sacred knowledge.”

Working to protect seniors

“It is devastating to see our populations being affected not only by this pandemic, but also by the lack of infrastructure, which even allows us to have a chance to meet our needs,” she said. “I mean, how can you wash your hands for 20 seconds under running water if you don’t have it?”

In addition, without resources such as nearby grocery stores on the reserve, residents rely on travel to border towns for supplies, risking taking the virus home with them.

In order to help keep vulnerable seniors at home, Clayson has volunteered with local organizations such as the K’e Relief Project to bring supplies like water, firewood and food to families in the need on the reserve.

“There has been an incredible humanitarian effort,” Clayson said.

The Benallys believe the coronavirus has helped shine a light on the injustices Native Americans face every day. Many of the infrastructure issues hampering Native Americans today can be traced back to how the reservations were established by the War Department, they said.

“If you think about what a prison looks like, the concept of a reserve is this: here is a wasteland on which we can move people and control them as a resource,” Clayson said.

As they continue to do what they can to protect their elders and community members, the Benallys maintain a positive mindset.

“It’s hard not to be frustrated, but it’s so important to carry this seed of hope with us,” Jeneda said. “This heartbeat here is one of resilience.”