Native Americans Protect Older Tribe Members, Traditions
2021-01-03
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1Native American tribes in the United States are working to protect their oldest members from the new coronavirus.
2A Navajo woman, Monica Harvey, wanted to help the oldest members of her tribe get needed household goods without the risk of becoming infected with the virus.
3So, she started Defend Our Community, a group that sends supplies to older tribe members.
4She said she got the idea from watching crowds at a Sam's Club store in the northern part of the state of Arizona.
5People bought up all the necessary products.
6Older Native Americans did not move fast enough.
7Harvey saw them looking sad when they reached empty places in the store.
8Harvey's effort is about saving lives, but it also is about more than that.
9Tribal elders serve as honored links to the past and often have rare knowledge of language, history and culture.
10The knowledge of elders is valuable because tribes often pass down their traditions using spoken words or by telling stories.
11Tribal groups are giving out protective equipment, providing meals and trying to quickly get vaccines for their oldest members.
12That includes the Navajo Nation in the American Southwest, the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma, the Blackfeet Nation in Montana and the Mashantucket Pequot Nation in Connecticut.
13Loss of elders to the virus could mean a permanent loss of important traditions for the tribes.
14"When you lose an elder, you lose a part of yourself," said Harvey.
15She lives in Leupp, Arizona, east of the city of Flagstaff.
16Harvey remembers her own grandfather explaining the stories behind Navajo songs and teaching her Navajo words from the songs.
17She often listened to her grandparents speaking Navajo while she went over the words quietly to herself.
18In Oklahoma, the Cherokee Nation has increased the amount of food it gives to elders.
19The nation has also given money to those who were struggling to pay living costs.
20The tribe plans to give COVID-19 vaccinations first to elders and those who work with them, along with hospital and emergency workers.
21Next are those whose first language is Cherokee and others considered "tribal treasures."
22An effort among the Blackfeet in Montana is helping the tribe's members connect with elders who need support.
23Connecticut's Mashantucket Pequot Nation is providing its members with face coverings and online medical advice.
24They also say they are providing meals and vaccinations.
25Loren Racine started a Facebook page offering help in the Blackfeet community.
26"Elders are like libraries. Losing one is like a library burning down," she said.
27Roy Boney Jr. supervises a Cherokee language program.
28He said most Cherokee speakers are elders.
29They make up a small number of people the program trusts to teach the language.
30"Elders hold our history and culture but also our language. ... Our elders are precious," Boney said.
31Almost half of the Cherokee who died from the coronavirus in the tribe's health services spoke Cherokee well.
32Boney said losing even a few speakers can be very harmful to the efforts to save the language and culture.
33They have special knowledge of local ways of speaking, medicine and customs, he said.
34"All these things we're trying to revitalize and save, they're the heart of all of it."
35Mashantucket Pequot elders changed to online meetings for the gatherings of many generations where traditional stories are told.
36An elders council also helps to organize Pequot language game nights and Schemitzun, the annual Festival of the Green Corn.
37The tribe's chief medical officer is Setu Vora.
38He said when his group heard about the threat of COVID-19, "we immediately started working to protect them."
39The tribe has no known COVID-19 deaths.
40Pequot elders play an important part in the effort to recover the tribe's language, which is no longer widely spoken.
41Elders still remember hearing family members speak the language and can give details about words.
42A few of the tribe's 2,000 members are learning to speak Pequot as they research and reclaim new words, Vora said.
43Karen Ketcher was among 28 Cherokee Nation elders who died from the coronavirus.
44She was almost 71 years old and had many years of experience working for the tribe and the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs.
45Her knowledge was valuable, said her granddaughter, Taryn King, who is 31 years old and lives in Stilwell, Oklahoma.
46"There's so much at stake when this virus hits our communities," King said.
47She described elders as "the glue that holds our communities together."
48A co-worker, Kamisha Hair, said everyone who worked with Ketcher loved her and called her "Granny." Ketcher died in April.
49Relatives held a small outdoor service for her.
50When they returned to town, other Cherokees were standing in the streets to show their respect for her.
51"Losing an elder like Granny is like losing a piece of your identity," Hair said.
52"It dies with them, and you can never get it back."
53I'm Jill Robbins.
54And I'm Armen Kassabian.
1Native American tribes in the United States are working to protect their oldest members from the new coronavirus. 2A Navajo woman, Monica Harvey, wanted to help the oldest members of her tribe get needed household goods without the risk of becoming infected with the virus. So, she started Defend Our Community, a group that sends supplies to older tribe members. 3She said she got the idea from watching crowds at a Sam's Club store in the northern part of the state of Arizona. People bought up all the necessary products. Older Native Americans did not move fast enough. Harvey saw them looking sad when they reached empty places in the store. 4Harvey's effort is about saving lives, but it also is about more than that. Tribal elders serve as honored links to the past and often have rare knowledge of language, history and culture. 5The knowledge of elders is valuable because tribes often pass down their traditions using spoken words or by telling stories. Tribal groups are giving out protective equipment, providing meals and trying to quickly get vaccines for their oldest members. 6That includes the Navajo Nation in the American Southwest, the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma, the Blackfeet Nation in Montana and the Mashantucket Pequot Nation in Connecticut. 7Loss of elders to the virus could mean a permanent loss of important traditions for the tribes. 8"When you lose an elder, you lose a part of yourself," said Harvey. She lives in Leupp, Arizona, east of the city of Flagstaff. 9Harvey remembers her own grandfather explaining the stories behind Navajo songs and teaching her Navajo words from the songs. She often listened to her grandparents speaking Navajo while she went over the words quietly to herself. 10Tribal treasures 11In Oklahoma, the Cherokee Nation has increased the amount of food it gives to elders. The nation has also given money to those who were struggling to pay living costs. The tribe plans to give COVID-19 vaccinations first to elders and those who work with them, along with hospital and emergency workers. Next are those whose first language is Cherokee and others considered "tribal treasures." 12An effort among the Blackfeet in Montana is helping the tribe's members connect with elders who need support. Connecticut's Mashantucket Pequot Nation is providing its members with face coverings and online medical advice. They also say they are providing meals and vaccinations. 13Precious libraries of knowledge 14Loren Racine started a Facebook page offering help in the Blackfeet community. "Elders are like libraries. Losing one is like a library burning down," she said. 15Roy Boney Jr. supervises a Cherokee language program. He said most Cherokee speakers are elders. They make up a small number of people the program trusts to teach the language. "Elders hold our history and culture but also our language. ... Our elders are precious," Boney said. 16Almost half of the Cherokee who died from the coronavirus in the tribe's health services spoke Cherokee well. Boney said losing even a few speakers can be very harmful to the efforts to save the language and culture. They have special knowledge of local ways of speaking, medicine and customs, he said. "All these things we're trying to revitalize and save, they're the heart of all of it." 17Mashantucket Pequot elders changed to online meetings for the gatherings of many generations where traditional stories are told. An elders council also helps to organize Pequot language game nights and Schemitzun, the annual Festival of the Green Corn. 18The tribe's chief medical officer is Setu Vora. He said when his group heard about the threat of COVID-19, "we immediately started working to protect them." The tribe has no known COVID-19 deaths. 19Pequot elders play an important part in the effort to recover the tribe's language, which is no longer widely spoken. Elders still remember hearing family members speak the language and can give details about words. A few of the tribe's 2,000 members are learning to speak Pequot as they research and reclaim new words, Vora said. 20Honoring 'Granny' 21Karen Ketcher was among 28 Cherokee Nation elders who died from the coronavirus. She was almost 71 years old and had many years of experience working for the tribe and the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs. Her knowledge was valuable, said her granddaughter, Taryn King, who is 31 years old and lives in Stilwell, Oklahoma. 22"There's so much at stake when this virus hits our communities," King said. She described elders as "the glue that holds our communities together." 23A co-worker, Kamisha Hair, said everyone who worked with Ketcher loved her and called her "Granny." Ketcher died in April. Relatives held a small outdoor service for her. When they returned to town, other Cherokees were standing in the streets to show their respect for her. 24"Losing an elder like Granny is like losing a piece of your identity," Hair said. "It dies with them, and you can never get it back." 25I'm Jill Robbins. 26And I'm Armen Kassabian. 27Christine Fernando and Felicia Fonseca wrote this story for the Associated Press. Jill Robbins adapted it for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor. 28___________________________________________________________ 29Words in This Story 30elder - n. an older person; senior member of a group 31Nation - n. a tribe of Native Americans or a group of Native American tribes that share the same history, traditions, or language and is under the control of its own government 32precious -adj. very valuable and important 33revitalize - v. to make (someone or something) active, healthy, or energetic again 34at stake - adj. in a position to be lost or gained 35glue - n. a substance used to stick things tightly together