Hopi

Many Native students who attend school in Flagstaff live in a dormitory operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs because their family homes are far away, scattered on the vast Navajo Nation. But when schools shut their doors at the start of the pandemic, they had to go home…where they faced not only a sudden switch to online classes, but also a lack of access to Internet, electricity, food and water. Teachers and counselors worked long hours to stay connected to their students, many of whom were suffering from isolation and fear. Darrell Marks is the Native American academic advisor at Flagstaff High School. Tomorrow he receives a special award for courage from the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation for risking his health and safety to help others during the pandemic. In this audio postcard, we meet Darrell Marks who says the recognition is bittersweet after a year of heartbreaking loss.

Hopi people cultivate a dazzling array of corn varieties. They come in a kaleidoscope of colors; blue, red, yellow and purple, all starting from humble seeds.

For the Hopi, seeds are considered kin and treated as such. They root people to their land and cultural traditions. Women are entrusted with seed stewardship, carrying for them like one might care for a close relative. These stewards pass the seeds to the next generation as part of a collective inheritance.

U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland toured two national monuments last week in southern Utah. The Biden-Harris administration is considering restoring their previous boundaries after they were drastically shrunk under the Trump administration. KNAU’s Ryan Heinsius reports.

Hopi health officials say known COVID-19 infections continue to drop as more residents receive vaccinations. It’s prompted tribal leaders to begin reopening the reservation and easing some restrictions. KNAU’s Ryan Heinsius reports.