Navajo

To Limit COVID-19, Navajo Leader Says: 'Listen To Your Public Health Professionals'

5:23pm September 15, 2020

by Sacha Pfeiffer

The Navajo Nation has seen a turning point in its battle against the virus. Cases are down dramatically. Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez says that's because citizens heed public health advice.

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National

Navajo Nation Asks Trump To Commute Death Sentence Of Native Man Facing Execution

2:57pm August 11, 2020

by Camila Domonoske

The U.S. government plans to execute Lezmond Mitchell, who killed two people on a Navajo reservation. Tribal leaders, citing Navajo beliefs that life is sacred, don't want him to be executed.

Traditional Diné medicine practitioner Jeneda Benally, pictured here with her daughter Dahi, is trying to preserve cultural wisdom in danger of being lost during the pandemic.

Health & Safety

Navajo Nation Loses Elders And Tradition To COVID-19

11:28am May 31, 2020

by Laurel Morales

COVID-19 is disproportionately affecting older tribal members throughout Indian Country. The deaths of these elders means the loss of ceremonies, stories, language and cultural wisdom.

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The Navajo Generating Station shut down in November 2019. The West's largest coal-fired power plant provided $12 million in yearly royalties to the Hopi Tribe.

Hopi Look To Tourism, Ranching For Income After Coal Power Plant Closure

10:18am January 14, 2020

by Laurel Morales

The coal power plant that provided about 80% of the Hopi Nation's budget closed last month. Tribal leaders are now trying to figure out how to replace the revenue, which was their economic lifeline.

Geri Hongeva (left), who voiced C-3PO in the Navajo translation of A New Hope; artist Duane Koyawena (center); and engineer Joe Mastroianni with Hopi R2 at the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff.

'The Force Is With Our People' Connects Indigenous Culture To A Galaxy Far Away

5:46am December 18, 2019

by Ryan Heinsius

The Rise of Skywalker speaks to the historical experiences of many in the Indigenous community. An exhibit by Native artists attempts to shed light on those connections.

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In 2017, President Trump honored Navajo Code Talker Fleming Begaye Sr. at the White House.

National

World War II Veteran and Navajo Code Talker Fleming Begaye Sr. Dies At 97

6:01pm May 12, 2019

by Shannon Van Sant

Begaye was one of hundreds of Navajos recruited to develop a miltary code based on their native language during World War II.

After decades of dependency on coal for jobs, the Navajo Nation is turning to renewables. Two utility-scale solar farms have been built in recent years and another one is in the works.

National

On The Navajo Reservation, Turning From Coal To Renewables

5:47pm April 07, 2019

by Laurel Morales

The Navajo tribe voted late last month not to purchase the Navajo Generating station, the largest coal-fired power plant in the west. Now renewable energy has become a top priority for the tribe.

Lillie Pete sifts the juniper ash before adding it to her blue corn mush.

To Get Calcium, Navajos Burn Juniper Branches To Eat The Ash

4:57am August 21, 2017

by Laurel Morales

Most American Indians are lactose intolerant, which means they need to find nutrients outside of dairy sources. It turns out that a return to traditional cooking methods can be key to good health.

At Saint Michael's Association for Special Education in St. Michaels, Ariz., the tap water sometimes runs yellow, brown and black.

On The Navajo Nation, Special Ed Students Await Water That Doesn't Stink

7:39pm April 12, 2017

by Laurel Morales

Fundraising is underway for a new filtration system at an Arizona school for Navajo children with disabilities. Now, the water runs black and smells like rotten eggs, but is technically safe to drink.

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Maria Welch is a researcher studying the impact of uranium mining on Navajo families today. She also has a personal interest: Both her parents grew up next to mines.

For The Navajo Nation, Uranium Mining's Deadly Legacy Lingers

5:08am April 10, 2016

by Laurel Morales

Uranium mining on Navajo lands ended in 1986, but the tribe is still suffering profound health effects. The government started cleanup only recently; many of the polluters have gone out of business.