Holbrook Indian School PHOTO: ALYSSA JOHNSTON
(Right) Starla, Isis, and their family at the HIS Native Heritage Festival. (Below) The masks are ready to be mailed off. (Bottom) Looking for herbs in the desert.
PHOTOS: STARLA
A Seventh-day Adventist Boarding Academy Serving Native American Youth Since 1946
Life on the Navajo Reservation During COVID-19 By Starla and Isis, with Nicole Potgieter
T
he coronavirus pandemic is having a very real effect on our students and their families— some of them have even tested positive for the virus. We are doing our best to keep in contact with our students and make sure they are staying well. I had the wonderful opportunity to interview Isis, a senior at HIS, and her mother, Starla, via email. They shared how COVID-19 has affected their lives and what they are doing to help their community. How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your family? Isis: Coronavirus has impacted my family members far and near. It affected different plans that we had and yearly celebrations. I am not able
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PA C I F I C U N I O N R E CO R D E R
to visit or hug my great Masani (greatgrandmother), Frances Nez, because she is at high risk—I can only see her through a window. Our family is so close, and it’s hard not being able to hug anyone. I really miss hanging out with family and traveling. Now I am staying home and taking care of our livestock, learning new hobbies, tutoring my little sisters, and helping my nana and mom where I can. I am learning more than I ever did (especially about sewing and cooking). I have loved learning about traditional herbs and how they could help coronavirus patients. The knowledge being taught to me was passed down from generation to generation. Starla: This virus has affected our family tremendously. We can’t visit
or hug each other, but our bond has become stronger. We are each other’s support system, making sure each family member has enough necessities. It hurts that my daughters can’t visit their great Masani, because she is the teacher of our family. She’s our strength, courage, happiness—and our greatest, most precious treasure. Our youngest baby, Kai Nizhonibah, is having a tough time adjusting to not spending weekends with great Masani and her mommy Kim or mommy Gerrilene. We explain to our children the situation and offer comfort. This is the first time Isis has really stayed home since she started school at HIS. She has more chores in caring for our livestock (flock of sheep, donkey, and dogs). She’s adjusting
