One day I went for a hike in the San Francisco Mountain Range in Flagstaff, AZ. It was a gorgeous day with bluebird skies. I knew many people would be outside that day. While I was heading up the trail, I passed numerous individuals. Hard to count how many. All of the people I passed on the trail were white. Except one. This one individual was Native American. And he was the only person I had passed on the trail that wore a mask.
Another day, I went into a restaurant to pick up a take-out order. The restaurant was open for indoor seating, and the place was filled. All with white people. Maskless, close together in large groups, walking around. No hand sanitizer in sight. The restaurant workers had worn masks, many of whom were Native American.
By the time I arrived on the reservation in early June of 2020, a mask mandate for the Navajo Nation had already been implemented for nearly one and a half months.[1] Nightly curfews and weekend lockdowns were continuing. And every person on the reservation was wearing a mask in public. The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Tuba City Regional Health Care Corporation, the hospital I had begun working at, was above capacity levels, as was nearly every other hospital in the state.
The Navajo Nation has been the hardest hit Indigenous population in the U.S., which influenced Arizona’s cases per capita to surge above that of New York and New Jersey in late May. The Navajo Nation ordered all people living on the reservation to wear a mask in public in mid-April. The state of Arizona never ordered a state-wide mask mandate, but specific local areas have, with other locations implementing mask wearing recommendations.[2]
During my time working and living on the Navajo Reservation, it was quite obvious to me that Native Americans are hyper-diligent about wearing masks in public and opting to stay home. It was also quite apparent how unaware and inconsiderate all other people in Arizona, that I saw, were. A recent study found that Arizona reported the greatest anti-mask wearing sentiment in the U.S.,[3] and this is due to white Arizona residents.
Native Americans are aware of their vulnerable status as a population. They are aware of their health disparities. They are aware of the hyper-segregation of opportunity and prosperity between them and white Americans. They are aware of their heightened risk at developing severe COVID-19. Because they have lived through all of it, and more. More than any white person could understand. Including me. But I have had the opportunity to witness minute pieces of it.
When I would drive through populated areas, it looked as though families were on vacation. Groups of maskless white people gathered in restaurants, on trails, at scenic points, in bars. They seemed completely ignorant to the fact that a highly contagious virus had ravaged the state and the rest of the country. Worse, when I initially arrived in Arizona, there were virtually zero mask mandates in local areas. It seemed that white Arizona residents were ignoring the fact that although they may not be sick, their vulnerable neighbors are. And they are making it much, much worse.
Do your part. Wear your mask for the health and safety of not only yourself, but also for those most vulnerable. Be considerate. Do your research. Understand why public health crises affect marginalized populations more. Understand the harm that you are doing as a white person not wearing a mask. Really try to understand those consequences of not wearing a mask. Please.
Although the first major wave of COVID-19 cases subsided, a second wave is in full force right now. President Nez of the Navajo Nation requested a major disaster declaration on December 3, 2020 and asked the federal government for additional help.[4] The Navajo Nation cannot survive on its own.
If you would like to learn more about how you can help support the health and wellness of Native Americans, see some links below:
Why it is important to wear a mask:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover-guidance.html
Ways that Native Americans are standing up against COVID-19:
https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2020/08/13/covid-indian-country-navajo-women-elders/
https://navajotimes.com/coronavirus-updates/grant-relief-on-the-way-for-navajo-businesses-artisans/
Help support Native American health and wellbeing as an outsider:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/xjgrfa-navajo-amp-hopi-families-covid19-relief-fund
https://www.gofundme.com/f/protect-native-elders
https://www.nihb.org/about_us/area_health_boards.php
https://www.indian-affairs.org/
https://nativeamericancapital.com/
https://www.ncai.org/get-involved
http://www.nativepartnership.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pwna_home
Support Native American owned small businesses:
https://www.diversitybestpractices.com/news-articles/top-native-american-organizations-to-know
[1] Associated Press. “Navajo Nation Orders Masks Be Worn in Public on Reservation.”
[2] “AZDHS: Epidemiology & Disease Control – Highlighted Infectious Disease for Arizona.”
[3] Wilder, Emily. “The State Most Resistant to Wearing Masks for Coronavirus Protection? Arizona, Study Says.”
[4] Krisst, Rima. “’Crisis Mode’: Nez Requests Major Disaster Declaration, Extends Lockdown.”
References
Associated Press. “Navajo Nation Orders Masks Be Worn in Public on Reservation.” U.S. News & World Report, U.S. News & World Report, 18 Apr. 2020, www.usnews.com/news/best-states/arizona/articles/2020-04-18/navajo-nation-orders-masks-be-worn-in-public-on-reservation.
“AZDHS: Epidemiology & Disease Control – Highlighted Infectious Disease for Arizona.” Arizona Department of Health Services, www.azdhs.gov/preparedness/epidemiology-disease-control/infectious-disease-epidemiology/index.php.
Krisst, Rima. “’Crisis Mode’: Nez Requests Major Disaster Declaration, Extends Lockdown.” Navajo Times, Navajo Times Publishing Co., Inc., 4 Dec. 2020, navajotimes.com/reznews/crisis-mode-nez-requests-major-disaster-declaration-extends-lockdown/.
Wilder, Emily. “The State Most Resistant to Wearing Masks for Coronavirus Protection? Arizona, Study Says.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 15 July 2020, www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/07/15/arizona-most-resistant-wearing-covid-19-face-masks-study-finds/5442738002/.