“Every time one of those elders leaves this world, it’s like a whole library, a whole beautiful chapter of our history, of our ceremonies – all the knowledge is gone,” said Clayson Benally, a member of Navajo Nation , said. “It was not written, it was not dictated and you are not going to find it on the internet.”
Clayson and his sister, Jeneda Benally, worked themselves in their homes in Flagstaff, Arizona, to pass on the knowledge of their older father, Jones Benally, during the pandemic.
“I take it as the biggest responsibility I’ve had in my life to take care of our knowledge keepers, to make sure my parents get out on the other side of this pandemic,” Jeneda said.
Native Americans are particularly susceptible to the coronavirus because they suffer from an excessive amount of asthma, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.
“Wherever we go, we are warned,” Jones said.
Keep culture alive
Jones is a traditional medicine and world famous hoop dancer and is recognized by the state of Arizona as an Indian living treasure of Arizona. His family does not know his exact age, but they estimate he is in the 90s based on his recollection of events.
Jeneda and Clayson, along with their brother Klee Dine, ‘learned the traditional Navajo language, as well as culture and sciences through their father. Now, with enough time at home, Jones is working with his children to pass on this knowledge to the grandchildren. One of their regular activities is to go on nature walks to learn more about medicinal plants.
“I’m trying to make it a multi-sensory experience,” said Jeneda, who has two daughters. “You know, we step into the woods and I’m like, what do you see what you can eat? What do you see here that is medicine?”
Due to the pandemic, Jeneda, a traditional healer, had to stop seeing patients. This is not the only profession she has taken a break from – she and Clayson have not performed as their band Sihasin for months.
But the award-winning punk-rock duo took advantage of their online platform to share cultural knowledge with members of the Navajo community and beyond. They host Facebook Live concerts, post informational videos on YouTube, and participate in online events for Indians.
“We want to use it as a platform to get the youth’s attention, to remind them, hey, culture is cool,” Jeneda said.
However, the Benally brothers and sisters are wary of the information they publish on the Internet.
“There is a history of exploitation and people making use of sacred and ceremonial knowledge,” Clayson said. “How much can we share? You know, it’s sacred knowledge.”
Work to protect the older men
“It is devastating to see that our people are affected not only by this pandemic, but also by the lack of infrastructure, which enables us to even have the chance to sustain ourselves,” she said. “I mean, how can you wash your hands under running water for 20 seconds if you don’t have it?”
Without resources like grocery stores in the area, residents also rely on trips to border villages for supplies, and run the risk of taking the virus with them.
In order to keep vulnerable seniors at home, Clayson has volunteered with local organizations such as the K’e Relief Project to bring supplies such as water, firewood and food to families in need of discussion.
“There was such an incredible humanitarian effort,” Clayson said.
The Benallys believe that the coronavirus helped to make the injustices that Indians face every day shine through. Many of the infrastructure problems plaguing Native Americans today go back to how reservations were instituted by the Department of War, they said.
“When you think about what a prison looks like, the concept of a discussion is: here’s a wasteland that we can move the population and control as a resource, ‘Clayson said.
As they continue to do what they can to protect their elderly people and members of the community, the Benallys hold positive thinking.
“It’s hard not to be frustrated, but it’s so important to carry that seed of hope within us,” Jeneda said. “This heartbeat here is resilient.”