A nationwide organization is gathering support to help American Indian Reservations through the pandemic.
'Protect Native Elders' is an organization created to get supplies to different reservations across the country, one being the Navajo Nation.
The Navajo Nation is an American Indian Reservation located in Arizona, Utah and New Mexico. More than 1,700 people have tested positive for the coronavirus and 59 have died.
"Immediately (we knew) the impact that it would have disproportional on our people," Volunteer with Protect Native Elders Bleu Adams said. "We do have a lack of access to water and infrastructure, broad ban saturation. You name it, we don’t have it."
Adams said the lack of resources has been there for years, which resulted in the virus spreading quicker. However, this organization is providing them hope, along with other reservation.
Hundreds of people across the nations joined the organization, others are helping donating food, personal protective equipment, hand sanitizer and money.
Since the start, the group has raised 75,000 dollars worth of PPE and supplies, including 16,000 face shields donated by Boston Scientific and delivered 4/27 to the Tohono O’odham Nation.
For these volunteers, working around the clock is about more than just protecting their native elders.
"They’re our connection to that generation," Adams said. "They’re the connection to our past and our history and so it was imperative that we try and protect them."
To donate or spread their message you can join the Facebook group or go here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/protect-native-elders [gofundme.com]
