Community Organizing Update Pt 1
Click here for Pt. 2 : Navajo and Hopi Relief Fund
3/23/2020 Monday
All information provided is reflective of activities up to 5:30 a.m. March 23, 2020.
On Friday, March 20, 2020 two teleconferences were offered for the community to develop continued understanding of the impacts to Hopi during COVID-19, to share information and progress in data from the Hopi Household Survey and to also identify potential local organizers within communities.
Community Organizing
The sense of community organizing where local communities will respond to the call for various needs within their community is much needed. This is an area to develop and we will surely be allowing for more support in a general framework to be shared with all.
This will aide in the following:
- developing localized lists of community needs to organize your distributions or requesting needs. Having a general list & quantity will be beneficial when applying for local grant funding or related distributions to the community.
Organized efforts with date help to equalize opportunities to meet the needs of the community. There are reports and comments that within our respective communities and at the tribal level, there is observable unfair practices and the potential for the distributions to not be shared equally.
Creating an organized effort helps to alleviate any undie stress in this time and demonstrates you are aware of how some distributions, grant funding or other areas or lacking support. This is better for us as a community to be transparent and know how best to leverage our resources.
General Lists in Development
A general list based on the highest needs from the Household Survey are being developed. This will be shared with you all as soon as available to use in your community efforts. All the forms can be changed or adapted for your specific use. We want to provide you as many tools as possible to serve your immediate community needs.
Hopi Household Survey (OPEN and administered online since 3/19/2020)
Open Link to Survey: https://forms.gle/nxuB9gJ6Q8YFbpZH8
- Paper-based survey is also attached. You are welcome to administer these surveys in your community to determine the need specific to your village. I’ll share updates as the data changes for online surveys.
You may also take your community surveys and enter responses via the link for your members if needed. - ADDENDUM at the end of this report to reflect “other comments & feedback” of the Household Survey.
Friday, March 20, 2020 – 17 respondents
Monday, March 23, 2020 – 45 respondents
Top 3 Highest Needs: Groceries (69%), Household Supplies (62%), Wood (58%). *rounded
The areas rising in need include:
- Home Education for COVID-19 (18%)
- Healthcare Access (18%)
- Animal supplies (15.6%)
- Emotional Support (15.6%)
QUESTION NOTED: The residents of hub communities like Keams Canyon are interested to know if they are considered a Hopi community. They have voiced that they feel left out of the efforts and communication. I’ve advised that they are indeed and should proceed with requesting funding as are other communities.
PLEASE KEEP THIS IN MIND AS YOU ARE POSTING & DISSEMINATING INFORMATION.
*I’ve had previous conversations to reflect that Keams Canyon is considered a branch of the First Mesa community. I do believe now is the time to make strong efforts to make connections to all our members of the Hopi & Tewa community.
Summary of Efforts specific to the highest household needs include:
- Outreach to potential partners in providing food sources, household supplies and wood to the community.
- Notification to Hopi Tribal Leadership of community concerns, teleconference input/feedback, and local efforts of the working group.
In this document is the email correspondence of Community concerns directed to the Offices of the Hopi Tribal Chairman and Vice Chairman on Friday, March 20, 2020. That information is at the end of the breakdown of high needs areas and the progress to date.
FOOD & GROCERIES
Cultivating natural Hopi food sources & knowledge
If you have ideas for lists relative to foraging and locally sourcing foods and herbs that are local to Hopi, please share those. We encourage sharing this knowledge in families to revitalize these natural food sources and pay respect to their natural seasons. Also, if you plan to collect, do this mindfully. Only take what you need and leave some for others as well as so that the plants may naturally reseed through their natural cycles.
Food Distributions
Current information of community distributions (Please follow up with the respective contacts, social media pages or website as they each have their own process for coordinating resources & distribution).
Bacavi CSA has shared by email:
3/19/2020 – they are working with Navajo Nation on food distribution.
Good morning, sorry for the late reply. We are working with Navajo Nation on their food distribution. I sent one off the staff to Phoenix to pic up a U-haul with our first shipment of food.
I sent an email to all the CSA’ for listings of their elderly. 4 Villages have responded so far. We will start with 3rd mesa and work towards 1st Mesa and Keams. Thank you for your interest.
BACAVI is also storing food in their warehouse for distribution to the community. They may need volunteers.
-Bacavi CSA
Continue to Community Organizing Update PT II: Navajo & Hopi Families COVID-19 Relief Fund