((PKG))  COVID AND THE NAVAJO NATION     
((Banner:  COVID and the Navajo Nation))  
((Reporter/Producer:  Arturo Martínez)) 
((Camera:  Sahar Khadjenoury, Pete Sands)) 
((Map:  Navajo Nation (Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New 
Mexico) )) 
((Main characters:  2 females;  1 male)) 
((NATS))
((Banner:  As regions across the US begin cautious 
reopening, the Navajo Nation remains under tight restrictions  
to try to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
The largest Native American reservation in the United States 
has the country’s highest COVID-19 infection rate in the 
country.  
Private and public relief programs have been getting basic 
supplies to people in need.))
((NATS)) 
((Pete Sands, Utah Navajo COVID-19 Relief Program))
My name is Pete Sands and I'm the program director and 
organizer of the Utah Navajo COVID Relief Program.  We 
work under the Utah Navajo Health System.  The main 
purpose of our Relief Program is to deliver goods and home 
supplies, home food.  So we try our best to help those that 
are either quarantined or self-isolating themselves. 
The virus has devastated the Navajo Nation due to factors 
like lack of health infrastructure, lack of health resources, 
lack of running water to people's homes and lack of 
electricity.  And there is a lot of tourism, there is a lot of 
people.  You know, it is a hub because people have to go 
through our reservation to get to these major areas.
Our positive cases are rising right now.  And you know the 
Utah portion of Navajo Nation is a hotspot as they 
designated.  But we are doing our best here to help people 
during these trying times. 
((NATS)) 
((Pete Sands, Utah Navajo COVID-19 Relief Program))
We drive a lot of miles, that's for sure.  Some people live way 
out in the middle of nowhere, miles from any store, miles 
from the nearest town.  This is like off-off the grid.  We grew 
up here and yet we find places we've never been before.
((NATS))
((Utah Navajo Nation Resident))  
Thanks.
((Utah Navajo Nation Resident))  
We don't have electric or water yet.  So this one has electric 
in.  Gets really hot.
((NATS)) 
((Pete Sands, Utah Navajo COVID-19 Relief Program))
We meet a lot of beautiful people and we see a lot of nice, 
beautiful places as well.
((NATS)) 
((Pete Sands, Utah Navajo COVID-19 Relief Program))
We are unloading some donations that came from the 
Rotary Club here in northern Utah and they got five vehicles 
full of stuff.  So, it's quite challenging but we are almost 
halfway done. 
((NATS)) 
((Pete Sands, Utah Navajo COVID-19 Relief Program))
A lot of the people that are helping combat this virus are 
corporations, private donors.  And the biggest part of this is 
to have a strong team because without a team, no one can 
do it by themselves.  And the volunteers we have, I mean, 
we service all these communities because so many people 
want to help out.  The great team that I have with project 
program coordinator, Sahar, my good friend, Sahar, she 
really helped me out.
((NATS)) 
((Sahar Khadjenoury, Utah Navajo COVID-19 Relief 
Program; Filmmaker)) 
We don't always have produce.  We do today.  It came, like, 
last minute, like, wow, surprise, like, let's go, get it out. 
((NATS)) 
((Sahar Khadjenoury, Utah Navajo COVID-19 Relief 
Program; Filmmaker)) 
Every person that comes through our line is either a familiar 
face or a potential family member.
((NATS)) 
((Sahar Khadjenoury, Utah Navajo COVID-19 Relief 
Program; Filmmaker))
If you guys need anything else, just message.
((NATS)) 
((Sahar Khadjenoury, Utah Navajo COVID-19 Relief 
Program; Filmmaker))
We make deliveries for elders, 65 and over, families in need, 
and those who have tested positive here within the Utah 
Navajo community.  This has kind of changed everything for 
me because I thought that this spring that I would be helping 
youth learn the awesome world of filmmaking and I am now 
lifting, hoisting 50-pound bags of beans. 
((NATS)) 
((Sahar Khadjenoury, Utah Navajo COVID-19 Relief 
Program; Filmmaker))
Imagine a state the size of West Virginia with only 11 
grocery stores.  That's basically painting the picture of what 
we are experiencing here in the Navajo Nation.  I believe as 
a Navajo Nation, whole count, they're looking at over 4000 
cases.  That has now surpassed, per capita, the number of 
cases from both New York City or New Jersey.
The Navajo Nation had received $600 million from the 
Federal Government.  However, that has not been spent.  
It’s still in the planning phases.  So this is not necessarily 
cash readily available to purchase supplies.
((NATS)) 
((Sahar Khadjenoury, Utah Navajo COVID-19 Relief 
Program; Filmmaker)) 
That's the last delivery.  This is a woman that she hasn't had 
food for several days and she doesn't have transportation.
((NATS)) 
((Sahar Khadjenoury, Utah Navajo COVID-19 Relief 
Program; Filmmaker)) 
So happy to find you.
((Juanita Begay, Utah Navajo Nation Resident)) 
Oh, yeah.  I'm here by myself.
((Sahar Khadjenoury, Utah Navajo COVID-19 Relief 
Program; Filmmaker)) 
Oh, just you?
((Juanita Begay, Utah Navajo Nation Resident)) 
Yeah.  I have a daughter that passed away what, two or 
three days ago.  Our funeral was over there.  So I'm here by 
myself.  My grandson, I don't know, I think he is in Cortez 
with his girlfriend.
((Sahar Khadjenoury, Utah Navajo COVID-19 Relief 
Program; Filmmaker)) 
Did you bury her over here at this yard?
((Juanita Begay, Utah Navajo Nation Resident)) 
Yeah.  She's buried over there.
((Sahar Khadjenoury, Utah Navajo COVID-19 Relief 
Program; Filmmaker))
Oh, no.  From COVID? 
((Juanita Begay, Utah Navajo Nation Resident)) 
Huh?
((Sahar Khadjenoury, Utah Navajo COVID-19 Relief 
Program; Filmmaker)) 
Was she sick?
((Juanita Begay, Utah Navajo Nation Resident)) 
No.
((Sahar Khadjenoury, Utah Navajo COVID-19 Relief 
Program; Filmmaker))
No.
((Juanita Begay, Utah Navajo Nation Resident)) 
There was nothing wrong with her at all.  I don't know what 
happened to her.
((Sahar Khadjenoury, Utah Navajo COVID-19 Relief 
Program; Filmmaker))
I'm sorry.
((Juanita Begay, Utah Navajo Nation Resident)) 
Yeah.
	((NATS))
((Sahar Khadjenoury, Utah Navajo COVID-19 Relief 
Program; Filmmaker)) 
And Spam and potatoes.
((Juanita Begay, Utah Navajo Nation Resident)) 
I'm glad you came by.  It makes me happy to see somebody 
come over and talk to me because I'm here by myself. 
Nobody to talk to.
((Pete Sands, Utah Navajo COVID-19 Relief Program))
Some dog food.
((Juanita Begay, Utah Navajo Nation Resident)) 
Thank you.  They don't have any.
((Sahar Khadjenoury, Utah Navajo COVID-19 Relief 
Program; Filmmaker))
They were hungry.
((Pete Sands, Utah Navajo COVID-19 Relief Program))
You know, you just, you see somebody in trouble and you 
go.  You don't think about it.  You just react.  And that's what 
happened.  That’s how it started for me.  And it's affected me 
deeply because you see people hurt and you see people 
hungry or people asking for help and you see people who 
are sick with the virus and you know, it affects you.  It moves 
you.  I've never really thought I would have ever put 
something like this together because when you think of 
helping another person, you just think of like helping your 
neighbor.  You know you never think helping a nation, part of 
it.  What really helped is that I had a team behind me.  It 
changed my life because everything that I got into was music 
or film and it drastically changed my career path.  And I think 
it's like a life lesson of some sort.  You think you know who 
you are but you know, life will smack you inside your head 
out of nowhere and you’ll be like, "No, you don't." 
((NATS)) 
((Banner:  The number of COVID-19 infections surpassed 
5500 in early June))
((NATS))