Native kids & COLUMN

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Zuni culture

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COMMUNITY

Native kids & COLUMN

LARRY’S CORNER The FDA

vaccinations: ‘Get it Is this

authorizes

done now. It’s safe politically Moderna

COVID-19

-More on pg.12

-More on pg. 11

booster shot and

Pfizer’s...

correct?

More on Page 2

Candidates for Hopi Chairman and Hopi Vice Chairman are pictured directly above during the recent forums held at the Hopi Jr./Sr. High School Auditorium. In the left picture is incumbent

Timothy L. Nuvangyaoma, Chairman of the Hopi Tribe with David N. Talumptewa, who previously ran for Chairman in 2017. Vice Chairman candidates are pictured in the picture to the right with

current Vice Chairman, Clark W. Tenakhongva standing in front of the Hopi Tribe flag and Craig Andrews standing in front of the Arizona State flag. Photo by: R.Laban Hopi Tutuveni

HOPI TUTUVENI

PO BOX 123

KYKOTSMOVI, AZ 86039

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

1110-01600-7460

Native American Heritage Month celebrates

Indigenous communities

-More on pg. 10

Hopi Tutuveni November 10, 2021

Hopi Tutuveni Attends Hopi Vice Platform of Clark Tenakhongva

Chairman and Chairman Forums Vice-Chairman of the Hopi Tribe

November 5, 2021 and November 6,

2021 at Hopi Jr./Sr. High School

Romalita Laban, Managing Editor

Keams Canyon, Ariz. – November 7,

2021 and a day after having attended the

Vice Chairman and Chairman Forums

hosted by Hongwunsi Consulting Services LLC at the Hopi Jr./Sr. High School

Auditorium, with both of the two-hour

events being completed as of Saturday,

November 6, 2021. Overall, it appeared

that about 50 or so were in attendance at

the auditorium.

The first forum was held on Friday,

November 5, 2021 hosting the two candidates, incumbent Clark W. Tenakhongva

and Craig Andrews who are vying for the

seat of Vice Chairman of the Hopi Tribe.

The second forum was held on Saturday, November 6, 2021 hosting the two

candidates, incumbent Timothy L. Nuvangyaoma and David N. Talayumptewa,

who also ran in the 2017 Hopi Chairman

Elections for Chairman of the Hopi Tribe.

Both of the events appeared to be an

opportunity for the Hopi public to ask

questions and hear from the candidates

currently competing in the 2021 Hopi

Elections with questions being solicited

via the local Hopi Radio Station KUYI

Hopi Radio’s Facebook page.

In addition, the candidates had tables

set up in the foyer outside the auditorium

where campaign aides had various types

of information available for the public.

For Craig Andrews table campaign aides

had promotional items such as bottles

of hand sanitizer with labels in support,

water bottles, pencils and fliers were displayed.

Campaign aides at the tables set up for

Clark W. Tenakhongva had autographed

pictures of Tenakhongva with President

Biden along with a document titled, “Platform Clark W. Tenakhonga” was available

for the taking.

Timothy L. Nuvangyaoma’s table set up

had bottles of hand sanitizer with labels in

support and handheld signs approximately

5X8”, in size, on sticks promoting Nuvangyaoma were made available.

Campaign aides for David N. Talayumptewa had a thirteen-page packet

titled, “Campaign Platform – Itàa tunatya

aw antini” and door hangers with eight

bullet points describing Talyumptewa and

his goals which were available for the attending public, as well.

The two events were to be simulcast

on KUYI’s Facebook Live feed, however technical difficulties during the Vice

Chairman Forum had listeners wondering

what occurred as the last issue being discussed was Vice Chairman Tenakhongva

referencing his work and support of Bears

Ears when music began playing.

Hopi Tutuveni staff were contacted by

some who were listening in on the live

feed and wondered what occurred. Tutuveni staff was attending the event in person and was not made aware about the

difficulties until Saturday, November 6,

2021. At print deadline Tutuveni was not

able to connect with KUYI Hopi Radio to

inquire about what occurred.

During the introductory statements

made during the Chairman Forum on Saturday, November 6, 2021, the Forum host

made reference to not being responsible

for what was being aired on the KUYI live

feed. She notified those in attendance that

the Chairman forum that the event would

be shared via the Hongwungsi Consulting

Facebook live feed instead of KUYI’s live

feed.

Overall, the Forum seemed to be more

of a Q&A session rather than a formal political debate as at some points the participants did not all receive equal time and

fair opportunity for answering questions

and/or rebuttals in an alternative fashion.

For instance, there wasn’t a clear-cut

switch of alternating when the candidates

would be allowed to answer the questions.

In some instances, those asking questions

seemed to be

Cont on Pg. 3

President Joe Biden and Vice Chairman of the Hopi Tribe, Clark Tenakhongva (Pic Submittal)

My name is Clark W. Tenakhongva. I am

from the village of Hotvela and a member

of the Rabbit/Tobacco clan. My parents are

Samuel and Louise Tenakhongva, my father

being a member of the Pikyas/Corn clan and

my godfather being a member of the Sun/

eagle clan. I am married to Ann D. Youvella

Tenakhongva who is from the Katsina/Parrot clan of Sitsom'ovi on First Mesa. Her

parents are Susie Maha

Youvella and Charlie Youvella, her father

being a member of the Sand Clan of Tewa

Village. We have 4 children, Michael, Samuel, Carlene and SiMana Tenakhongva and

4 grandchildren, Suyma, Sinomqa, Charlie

and Wayne.

I was born in Keams Canyon, AZ in 1957

and attended elementary school in both Hotvela and Kiqotsmovi village. I graduated

from Winslow High School and attended

Central Arizona College prior to enlisting in

the United States Army. I served 10 years of

active duty while at the same time furthering my education by attending Northeastern

Louisiana college, Alaska State University,

and Oklahoma

State University though the military satellite education system, ultimately receiving

an AA for general engineering.

Over the last four years it has been a pleasure to serve as the Vice-Chairman of the

Hopi Tribe and throughout that time I

have endeavored to address issues of importance to the Hopi People within the delegations that were given to my office by the

Chairman and Hopi Tribal Council such as

Veterans Affairs, the Budget

Oversight Team, the Drought Task Team,

the Bears Ears Commission, the Hopi Health

and Benefits Committee, the Hopi Cultural

Advisory Task Team, The Hopi Education

Code, and the Hopi Language Project.

The last two years, with the onset of the

COVID-19 Pandemic, have been the most

instructive to me, as a member of Hopi Tribal leadership as it revealed quite painfully

the areas within our community and government that are in dire need of improvement.

And it is in these areas that I intend to focus

throughout the next four years of my administration, if I am reelected, especially: revenue generation, improved water infrastructure, increased educational opportunities,

the creation of a more diversified economy,

and improved health services for the Hopi

people. I am optimistic that with the experience gained and relationships made at the

local, state, and national levels we can adequately address many of the most pressing

needs of the Hopi community.

Lastly, Culture, tradition, and Language

will continue to be a priority of mine, as they

are integral and critical parts of our Hopi and

Tewa identities and connect us to our history, principles and values as Native people.

While the Hopi community faces several

challenges economically, socially, and environmentally I am optimistic that with collective effort and ingenuity these challenges

can be overcome. As Hopi we are taught to

have foresight, and a vision for the future.

Looking toward to future, if I am reelected, I

will endeavor to build a stronger Hopi community for future generations to enjoy.

Kwakwhay.

Hopi Tutuveni November 10, 2021

WITH RESPECT, HONOR, & GRATITUDE

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE

HOPI DAY SCHOOL

Veterans Day Presentation - Tuesday, November 9, 2021

HDS Gym beginning at 8:00AM

(*DUE TO COVID PRECAUTIONS, THIS EVENT IS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC BUT CAN BE VIEWED VIA ZOOM)

NOVEMBER 11, 2021

HOPI CULTURAL CENTER RESTAURANT

8:00 AM – 10:30 AM

Blue Cornmeal Marbles, Corned Beef Hash, Scrambled Eggs, Hash Browns, Boiled Eggs,

Oatmeal

HOHONGVIT ITAMUNGEM QATSIT AASATOTA

HOPI DAY SCHOOL

Veterans Day Presentation - Tuesday, November 9, 2021

Zoom ID: 918 6032

0741 Passcode: C77yBu

HDS Gym beginning at 8:00AM

(*DUE TO COVID PRECAUTIONS, THIS EVENT IS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC BUT CAN BE VIEWED VIA ZOOM)

Agenda

Zoom

ID: 918

6032

0741 Montgomery,

Passcode: CSA

C77yBu

Opening

Remarks

- Mr.

TeJay

National Anthem - Deborah Baker,

AgendaHDS Parent Liaison

OpeningGuard”

Remarks --Mr.

TeJayTalas,

Montgomery,

CSA

Presentation on “A Military Color

Geno

Hopi

Veterans Services

National Anthem - Deborah Baker, HDS Parent Liaison

Pledge

Allegiance

Anjalee

Andrews,

HDS

Princess

Presentation on “A Military Color Guard” - Geno Talas, Hopi Veterans Services

of Allegiance

- Anjalee-Andrews,

HDS Princess

MorningPledge

Song

for Veterans

HDS Royalty

Morning Song for Veterans - HDS Royalty

Closing Remarks

- Mr. TeJay Montgomery, CSA

Closing Remarks - Mr. TeJay Montgomery, CSA

*Reception following the program with Veterans, HDS School Board and School Staff

FREE FOR VETERANS & ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY PERSONNEL MUST SHOW PROOF AS VETERAN OR MILITARY STATUS WITH VALID

IDENTIFICATION CARD, DD FORM 214, VA HEALTH CARD, ETC.

*Reception following the program with

Veterans, HDS School Board and School Staff

Hosted by HDS Food Services Department

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!

Hopi Tutuveni Attends Hopi Vice Chairman and Chairman Forums

November 5, 2021 and November 6, 2021 at Hopi Jr./Sr. High School, Cont.

confused about who was to answer the questions first.

In particular during the Chairman Forum, incumbent Timothy A. Nuvangyaoma was

allowed a response to Hongwungsi Consulting Services, LLC about his intentions for

a transfer of information should he not be elected. Talayumptewa was not afforded an

alternative question or one similar to that posed to the incumbent.

Questions for the Vice Chairman candidates ranged in topic from Tribal employee

salaries, upcoming budgets, protection of sacred sites, education, support for internships

and youth development, law enforcement, Hopi language proficiency, amendments to

the constitution, economic development, etc.

In comparison, questions posed during the Chairman forum seemed to be focused

more on domestic violence, the missing and murdered however other topics such as law

enforcement, sex trafficking, economic development, language proficiency and amendments to the constitution, as well as education, law enforcement, housing, illegal dump

sites, early childhood education, strategies for platforms being line with the people,

flooding issues, etc. During the Chairman forum, candidates were also afforded the

opportunity to provide closing comments.

Hopi Tutuveni provided an opportunity to all candidates to submit campaign ads for

the November 10, 2021 Special publication on November 1, 2021. Follow up inquiries

were made during the two forums to allow another chance for candidates to submit information about their platforms for the public.

General Election is set for Thursday, November 11, 2021 and the Hopi Elections Office will require those who have Absentee Ballots to have them mailed into the Kykotsmovi Post Office, where Hopi Elections Office receives its mail. In a general email

notification sent October 11, 2021, Shupla noted, “IMPORTANT DATE: November

10, 2021 is the date the Hopi Election Board will be collecting the remaining Absentee

Ballots from the Kykotsmovi Post Office. November 11, 2021 is a National Holiday

and the post office will be closed. Canvassing will be held on November 11, 2021 beginning at around 7:30 p.m. at the Peace Academic Center, Kykotsmovi, [Arizona]…”

Hopi Tutuveni November 10, 2021

David Talayumptewa ‘Open Letter to

the Public’

November 8, 2021

Dear Hopi-Tewa Sinom:

The opportunity to lead our 2021

campaign for Chairman of the Hopi

Tribe has been a positive and memorable experience. Many Hopi-Tewa Sinom

have come to me with their input and

guidance on issues they consider to be

significant and worthy of the Tribe’s attention in the coming months and years.

Our elders who hold our Hopi culture,

and foundational character and qualities

for who we are as a People have offered encouragement and advice. They

are one of the reasons to keep forging

ahead with my vision for a stronger

Hopi Tribe.

The other reason for my push forward

was underscored by an opportunity to

visit with a group of 6th Graders at one

of our local schools recently. I wish you

could have seen the gleam in their eyes,

their boundless energy and creativity

that greeted me. The students let me

know in in their own way that their time

must be secured so future generations

may have a chance to make their imprint

on our Tribe.

A key aspect of my Vision for bringing trans formative, positive changes

to our Tribe is engaging all Hopi-Tewa

Sinom to be a part of creating and securing a future for our People. Every Hopi

and Tewa person has a place on our

path to progress and prosperity for the

Tribe. Your input, energy, creativity, and

strength are key to developing solutions

for the challenges we face.

Among the critical issues that our

tribal government must address is the

safety and security of our Hopi-Tewa

Sinom across the Hopi Reservation. Our

elders and other vulnerable populations

do not feel safe in their own homes, in

their villages and communities. Drug

abuse and their consequences prompted me to champion the Villages Against

Meth legislation to combat one of the

reasons that our people do not feel safe.

I am very proud to have taken the

lead on legislation that established the

Hopi unified school system on the reservation. The old system where each

school had their own district and, consequently their own standards, was failing

our children. Now that the Hopi Tribal

Council has enacted the policy, the work

to implement the unified system is underway. Once the unified school system

is fully implemented, parents can be assured that our children will be competitive in pursuing their educational goals.

As Chairman, I will lead efforts for

effective economic development on the

Hopi Reservation. Our efforts will include development strategies that focus

as much on developing our scarce local

economic resources as it will on creating diverse and reliable revenue sources

for the tribal government and creating

jobs for our people.

Housing is a critical need. Many

times, multiple families overcrowd

homes designed for a single family. We

will have the courage to explore available housing resources to supplement

federal programs that have been our

only reliable option for years.

Regrettably, we lost far too many of

our people to COVID-19. In the midst

of this, our healthcare professionals,

first responders, and social service

workers have performed, and continue

to perform, admirably during the pandemic. The demands on their services

and our overall healthcare capabilities

have taught us that we must do more

to help build our capacity. When I am

Chairman, I will engage policy makers in Washington, DC, and the Indian

Health Service in Rockville, MD, and

petition them for more resources to meet

their sacred trust obligations to Hopi.

We must have a full-service hospital on

Hopi that is fully staffed with healthcare

professionals to serve our people.

As you see, we have a tremendous

amount of work ahead. To make progress on these and other critical issues,

transformative leadership is required.

I have spent a lifetime preparing to

meet the challenges that our People

face. Understanding the full scope of

responsibilities of the Hopi Chairman/

Chief Executive Officer is a strength

that I am prepared to exercise. Leadership and political experience essential for building coalitions and leading

others to make the tough decisions are

qualities that I bring to this challenge.

Thank you for your support. I ask for

your vote on November 11th.

Kwak ha!

David Norton Talayumptewa

Candidate for Hopi Tribal Chairman

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Hopi Tutuveni November 10, 2021

The FDA Authorizes Moderna

COVID-19 Booster shot and Pfizer’s

COVID-19 Vaccine for Children Ages

5 to 11

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Submitted by: Clark W. Tenakhongva – Office of the Vice-Chairman, Hopi

Tribe

Kykotsmovi, Ariz. – Tuesday, November 2, 2021. On Oct. 29, 2021, the Food

and Drug Administration authorized

emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech

COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5

to 11. The move comes days after careful

deliberation by its key scientific advisory

committee.

The next necessary step in the process

is for the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention to issue its guidance on how

to use the vaccine in this age group based

on the FDA’s authorization. The CDC’s

Advisory Committee on Immunization

Practices is scheduled to meet on November 2, 2021, and the agency’s official recommendation is expected soon thereafter.

In correspondence received by the Hopi

Tribal Government on Friday October 29,

2021, Indian Health Service (IHS) and the

Hopi Health Care Center (HHCC) stated it

will also provide clinical guidance in the

coming days once the approval process is

complete.

Pfizer's vaccine for younger children is

one-third the dose given to people aged 12

and up and will be administered in a twodose series three weeks apart.

Additionally, late Thursday October

28, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention approved booster shots

of Moderna’s and Johnson & Johnson’s

COVID-19 vaccines, giving people the

choice to mix and match any of the three

vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson

& Johnson) approved for use throughout

the United States. The agency’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices

recommended the Moderna booster for elderly and at-risk adults seven months after

having completed their primary series of

shots. This brings the Moderna Booster

Shot in line with the distribution plan for

Pfizer and BioNTech’s booster that was

previously approved.

Furthermore, for the nearly 15 million

people who received the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, booster shots are

also recommended for those 18 and older

who were vaccinated two or more months

ago.

“It is encouraging to know that our

children, are now eligible to receive

the COVID-19 vaccine” said Hopi

Vice-Chairman Clark W. Tenakhongva,

“and that individuals within our Hopi

Community will benefit from the additional protection provided by the Booster

shots.”

Authorization for the Moderna, Pfizer

and Johnson & Johnson booster shots—

along with Pfizer vaccines for children—

comes at a time when the contagious Delta

variant maintains its hold on the United

States, causing hospitals in some states to

once again struggle. With cases, hospitalizations and deaths beginning to plateau,

public health officials worry about another wave of COVID-19 infections as cold

weather drives people indoors and the annual flu season begins.

The Hopi Tribal Government aims

to counter the surge by updating its

COVID-19 guidelines and making receipt

of the COVID-19 vaccine and boosters

mandatory for all Tribal Employees.

“The FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines have proven to be highly effective in

preventing hospitalization, and those who

are unvaccinated are several times more

likely to be hospitalized,” said Royce Jenkins Director of the Department of Health

and Human Services and the Public Health

Authority for the Hopi Tribe. “This is why

we strongly encourage everyone to get

vaccinated and to maintain their immunity

by getting the booster shots.”

HOPI SENOM TRANSIT ROUTE & SERVICE UPDATE

NOVEMBER 2021

ROUTE UPDATES

 We are again running routes Monday - Friday to Flagstaff, Winslow, Keams Canyon (Local) and

Midday. Updated Transit Route Schedules are available at https://www.hopi-nsn.gov/ .

 Beginning in November we will return to running two trips a day to Winslow on Monday, Tuesday,

Thursday & Friday. There will not be a run into Winslow on Wednesdays until further notice.

 Buses are again stopping at the Mishongnovi Community Building.

 The Tuba City Route is not running until further notice.

 We will not be running on November 9, 11, 18 – 19, 25 – 26.

 Please be advised that Transit Routes and Services may be cancelled on short notice due to the

COVID-19 Emergency – Call our office at 928-734-3232 for current information.

FOR YOUR SAFETY

 Each bus is partitioned off with Plexiglas barriers for Social Distancing and safety of passengers and

drivers. All buses are sanitized daily with a hospital-grade disinfectant.

 HEPA filters have been mounted in many of our buses – these filters are extremely effective at

removing virus and COVID-19 particles from the air.

 Masks are required for all Passengers. Temperatures will be taken before you are allowed on the

bus – Persons with a temperature over 100° F will not be allowed to ride the bus.

MORE INFORMATION FOR YOU

 Children of All Ages are now permitted on all Routes.

 No Fares will be charged during the COVID-19 Emergency at Hopi.

 We are buying back Transit bus passes if you choose not to use them. Call for information.

 We’re Hiring Drivers! Contact the Hopi Human Resources Office at 928-734-3212 for an application

and the Transit Vehicle Operator Job Description.

 Questions? Comments? Concerns? Call the Hopi Senom Transit Office at 928-734-3232

The Hopi Tutuveni Team would

like to encourage all eligible

voters to Get out and VOTE

Hopi Tutuveni November 10, 2021

Legislative Update Government Affairs for Veterans

Submitted by: Sharon Fredericks,

Vet Center, Hotevilla Arizona

Hotevilla, Ariz. – October 22, 2021. After hard work by

many veteran advocates and advocate organizations some

changes have been signed into law. After the President

signs a bill, the Executive branch and departments and

agencies implement it.

On January 1, H.R. 6395, The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, became Public Law

116-283. It contains changes to help Vietnam veterans

who struggle with certain health problems associated

with Agent Orange exposure during the Vietnam War.

Title XCI-Veterans Affairs Matters, Section 9109

states: Additional disease associated with exposure to

certain herbicide agents for which there is a presumption

of service connection for veterans who served in the Republic of Vietnam. Section 116(a)(2) of title 38, United

States Code is amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs: (I) Parkinsonism. (J) Bladder

Cancer (k) Hypothyroidism.

Highlights of the NDAA, Title XCI-Veterans Affairs

Matters

•Modification of licensure requirements for VA health

care professionals providing treatment via telemedicine

•Additional care for newborn children of veterans

•Expansion of eligibility for HUD-VASH

•Study on unemployment rate of women veterans who

served on active duty in the armed forces after September

11, 2001

•Access of veterans to Individual Longitudinal Exposure Record

•VA report on undisbursed funds

•Transfer of Mare Island Naval Cemetery to the VA

Secretary for maintenance by National Cemetery Administration

•Comptroller General report on VA handling of disability compensation claim by certain veterans

•Additional disease associated with exposure to certain

herbicide agents for which there is a presumption of service connection for veterans who served in the Republic

of Vietnam

On January 5, H.R. 7105, The Johnny Isakson and

David P. Roe, M.D., Veterans health Care and Benefits

Improvements Act of 2020, became Public law, 116-315.

Highlights are:

•Requires the VA to return Disability based questionnaires to their public facing website, and requires the

VA accept disability-based questionnaires as evidence in

disability compensation claims, even when completed by

non-VA medical providers

•Increases the timeframe of the Vietnam War Era of

military service by changing the beginning date to November 1, 1955

•Eliminates the 12-year time limit governing applications for Veteran Readiness & Employment benefits for

veterans who separated from military service after January 1, 2013 (i.e., making VR & E the same as the Forever

G.I. bill)

•Sets new limits on when the VA’s Debt management

center may initiate debt collection proceedings against

veterans

•Lowers the age to 55 at which a remarried surviving

spouse of a veteran may receive Dependency Indemnity

Compensation.

•Requires a GAO briefing and report on repealing the

manifestation period for presumptions of service connection for certain diseases associated with exposure to herbicide agents

•Increases the federal government’s special pensions

for the surviving spouses of Medal of Honor recipients

•Requires Veterans Benefits Administration to establish specialized teams for processing military sexual trauma claims.

•Allows veterans filing a claim for a physical or mental

health condition resulting from sexual trauma to choose

the gender of their Compensation and Pension Exam provider.

•Allows National Guard and Reserve service under Title 32 orders to count for VA Home Loan eligibility

•Requires the VA to allow veterans to update dependent

information via the eBenefits website

•Requires the VA to study cancer, diseases or illnesses

experienced who served at the Karshi-Khanabad (K2) Air

Base in Uzbekistan between Oct 1, 2001 and September

30, 2005, and expands the VA’s open burn pit registry to

include burn pits in Uzbekistan

•Specific circumstances under which a service member, including members of the National Guard and Reserves, is considered service-connected for a disability or

death from COVID-19

•Orders the VA’s Under Secretary for Benefits to ensure that every paper or electronic document relating to

the receipt of a non-service-connected pension includes

a notice that the department does not charge any fee in

connection with the filing of an initial claim for benefits

Additional Services for Women Veterans:

•Devotes 20 million for retrofitting health care facilities “to make it safer and easier for women veterans to get

care” and requires the Veterans Health Administration to

submit plans for approval regarding how they will designate these funds

•Mandates that every VA facility have at least one

women’s health primary care provider

•Creates a permanent Office of Women’s Health in the

VHA tasked with oversight of VA Women’s Health Programs

•Requires VA leaders to create “an anti-harassment and

anti-sexual assault policy” and designate officials to take

responsibility for any related complaints

•Requires VA to create a women veterans training module for community health care providers

•Expands the Advisory Committee on Women Veterans’ mandate to include examining the effects of intimate

partner violence on women veterans and creates a VA

pilot program to care for survivors of intimate partner

violence

•Ensures that service members and veterans seeking

access to care and counseling related to military sexual

trauma can seek this care at any VA health care facility,

not just Vet Centers

•Requires VA to enter into agreements with public or

private entities to provide free legal services to women

veterans to meet the following unmet needs: child support, eviction and foreclosure prevention, discharge upgrade appeals, financial guardianship, credit counseling,

and family reconciliation assistance

•Improves access to prosthetic items made specifically

for women at VA medical facilities

Enhanced Health Care Services:

•Waives VA requirements for receipt of per diem payments for domiciliary care at the State Veterans Homes

and modification of eligibility for payments

•Prohibits the VHA from collecting co-payments from

veterans who are members of a Native American tribal

nation

•Makes permanent a pilot program to provide childcare to veterans enrolled in the VA health care system and

gives the VHA five years to implement the provision of

childcare at every VA medical center

•Requires State Veterans Homes to report on COVID-19

cases in these facilities to the VA

•Requires the VA to pay for emergency transportation

of newborns

•Requires VA medical facilities to have drop-off locations for controlled substance medications

•Mandates an annual audit of facility level appointment

scheduling, which VHA must share with Congress

Services for Homeless Veterans and Veterans at Risk

of Homelessness

•Expands the HUD-VASH voucher program to veterans with other-than-honorable discharges

•Increases the among of grant funds awarded to organizations providing services to homeless veterans to 115

percent of the State Veterans Home domiciliary rate, and

allows for additional increases of grant funds in higher

cost-of-living areas

•Allows the VA to award grants to legal services organizations assisting veterans who are homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness

Cont on Pg. 7

Hopi Tutuveni November 10, 2021

Legislative Update Government Affairs for Veterans, Cont.

•Requires the VA to study existing programs that help women veterans who are

homeless with a goal of identifying continued areas of need

•

Extends contracts for VA homeless Veteran Case Managers to prevent

gaps in service for homeless veterans

during the COVID-19 pandemic

More News from the VA

VA has begun processing disability claims for asthma, rhinitis, and

sinusitis based on presumed particulate

matter exposure during military service in

Southwest Asia and other areas, if these

conditions manifested within ten years of

a qualifying period of military service.

The Southwest Asia Theater of Operations includes Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia,

the neutral zone between Iraq and Saudi

Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab

Emirates, Oman, the Gulf of Aden, the

Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea, and the airspace

above these locations.

For Veterans who served in Southwest

Asia theater of operations beginning Aug.

2, 1990 to present, as well as in Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Syria, and Djibouti beginning Sept. 19, 2001

All veterans’ benefits are based on laws,

laws are passed through Congress. It is

your responsibility to keep up with changes that may affect you and your military

service when it comes to benefits. I’m

passing these along to help you see that

things change from year to year.

I hope some of this information can

be helpful to you and your family. If you

have questions you can reach out to ANY

VA accredited organization for assistance.

VA Regional office is 1-800-827-1000,

Web page WWW.VA.GOV

Arizona Department of Veterans Services is 1-520-458-7150 leave message

and number, they will call you back.

Happy Veterans Day to all veterans who

served this great country! Enjoy your day.

VA Advisory Committee on Tribal

and Indian Affairs appointees

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON — The Department of

Veterans Affairs appointed its first-ever Advisory Committee on Tribal and Indian Affairs Oct. 4.

The committee will provide advice and

guidance to the VA Secretary on all matters

relating to Indian tribes, tribal organizations,

Native

Hawaiian organizations and Native American Veterans.

American Indians, Native Hawaiians and

Alaska Natives have a rich legacy of service

in the U.S. Armed Forces and have served

with

distinction in every major conflict for

more than 200 years. There are approximately 160,000 AI/NH/AN Veterans across

the country.

“This committee gives tribal leaders as

well as American Indian, Native Hawaiians

and Alaska Native Veterans a place at the table with the

highest levels of leadership within the

VA,” said Office of Tribal Government Relations Director Stephanie Birdwell. “It of-

fers an unprecedented

voice in how programs, policies and services may be delivered and provided.”

Committee members are appointed to

two- to three-year terms. The initial 15

members and areas of representation are:

Adam Archuleta

(Albuquerque Area), Jack Austin, Jr.

(Member at Large), Jestin Dupree (Billings

Area), Manaja Hill (Great Plains Area),

Reyn Kaupiko (Native

Hawaiian Organization), Nickolaus Lewis (Portland Area), Kevin Meeks (Oklahoma

City Area), Galyn Minkel (Bemidji Area),

Angela Pratt

(Nashville Area), Chief William Smith

(Alaska Area), Eugene "Geno" Talas (Phoenix Area), Tewa "Ted" Tenorio (California

Area), Sonya M.

Tetnowski (Urban Indian Health Organization), Alfred "Fred" Urbina (Tucson Area)

and James Zwierlein (Navajo Area).

Access the full list of advisory committee

member

https://blogs.va.gov/VAntage/wp-cont e nt / uploads /2021/10/TA C-memberbios_06OCT2021_v14-remediated.pdf

IHS and VA renew partnership to

improve health of Native veterans

by Ben Smith, IHS Deputy Director for

Intergovernmental Affairs

For nearly two decades, the Indian

Health Service and the Department of Veterans Affairs have partnered to improve

the health status of American Indian and

Alaska Native veterans. This is critical to

the population we serve, as American Indians and Alaska Natives serve in the U.S.

military at higher rates than other groups.

As we continue to build our partnership

and adapt to changes and new approaches

to health care, the Veterans Health Administration and IHS have signed a new memorandum of understanding [PDF - 557

KB] aimed at improving the health status

of American Indian and Alaska Native

veterans.

The agreement establishes a framework

for coordination and partnering between

the VA and the IHS to leverage and share

resources and investments in support of

each organization’s mutual goals. The

agencies first signed an agreement in February 2003 to improve access and health

outcomes for Native veterans, and subsequently updated it in October 2010. This

newly signed agreement builds on that experience and will continue to support our

objective to improve access and health

care outcomes for Native veterans.

The new agreement was developed with

input from tribes, tribal organizations, and

urban Indian organizations through six

technical assistance and listening sessions

provided during a 90-day tribal consultation and urban confer. I want to thank everyone who provided input and guidance

as we worked to improve the agreement

and enhance the care provided to our Na-

tive veterans.

Under the new agreement, the VA and

IHS will work together to create an operational plan each fiscal year. The plan

will include goals and objectives, as well

as the tactics to achieve them, and specify

targets and metrics to evaluate processes

and assess outcomes. We will continue to

seek input through annual tribal consultation and urban confer on this operational

plan

The partnership enables Native veterans to access care closer to their homes,

promotes cultural competence and quality

health care, and focuses on increasing collaboration and resource-sharing between

the agencies. We have already achieved

remarkable results. A reimbursement

agreement that was established in 2012

allows the VA to pay IHS for services provided to eligible veterans. To date, this has

provided more than $123 million in additional resources for our health programs.

It also allows IHS to access the VA’s Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy, a sophisticated mail order pharmacy program

which has efficiently and safely delivered

more than 5 million prescriptions directly

to the homes of IHS patients, increasing

access to care, decreasing wait times and

improving the patient experience.

This new agreement will facilitate the

integration of electronic health records between IHS and VA for Native veterans and

improve care coordination between facilities operated by the VA, IHS, tribal health

programs and urban Indian organizations.

Together we will continue to find innovate

and impactful ways to raise the physical,

mental, social, and spiritual health of Native veterans to the highest level.

Hopi Tutuveni wants your AD’s

Call or email us to get a quote TODAY!

928-734-3283 or

rlaban@hopi.nsn.us

Hopi Tutuveni November 10, 2021

Larry’s Corner

Listen, I know that we all wanted to end the year

2020 and forget it like a bad movie. But in reality, I

don’t think Covid-19 got the memo that we didn’t want

it to stay in the year 2020. We wanted to tell the virus

so bad, that this is enough! I know this because I have

been stuck in my cat house for a while now, or maybe a

long while now not with the virus. And while in my cat

house I have just been hearing and seeing people complain all the time. I thought that living in the year 2019

was bad because of the drought, but the year 2020 was

the worst because it dragged everyone out of their

comfort zone and challenged them in a battle of wills.

With people out of their comfort zone, the year 2020

dragged everyone’s deeper personality out, their true

feelings towards other people and ideas seemed so

blatant that it could also be a reaction to the fear of

unknowing.

This new year, the year 2021 seems to be part 2 of

this bad movie in which we saw riots, we saw hate,

and we saw death, all from the comfort of our own

homes. Now, I’m not saying that these are good things

but these are part of reality. But who can we blame?

In the Hopi tradition, we are taught about forgiveness

towards others, why? Well, when we die, we are taught

that we travel back home to where we came from, I

know it sounds science-fiction but we believe that this

world is not our own and we are taught that we are just

the caretakers for the real owner of this land.

We are taught that we must care for the land as if it

were our child to nurture, to make sure nothing bad

happens to it, and if we do all those things right, it

will repay us with food, water, and shelter. But recently it seems we forgot why we are here in this world. It

seems we forgot that this world is temporary but this

world must be taken care of for future generations.

During this thing, they call a pandemic, it seems we

lost sight of what it means to be a Hopi. Now don’t

get me wrong, I’m not here to tell you all the mistakes

you made, I’m a cat and I am speaking of myself. Because in Hopi we also believe that when one of us goes

astray, it involves all of us, because that’s how we have

survived.

This year of 2021, America gets a new President.

Now I don’t care for American politics, because it

messes with my hair, but I hear that this person will

have the power to control everything now. In the last

four years America had a President that was the same

as prior years, no changes, no will to change anything,

and by that, I mean that all the Presidents in history

never really recognized anyone other than who he

sees. The Inauguration of the new President is an

event, I don’t care for. Seems like he will be just like

the others before him with promises that he will not

make happen, promises that he will forget, promises

he will fail at. Now don’t get me wrong, I just see this

being a “New, New” President or a person of power,

why? Because American politics work for the white

man, it was designed for the white man, it was never designed for anyone else except for the white man,

and changing it is not what the white man wants. But

I could be wrong because now we have a woman of

color who will be second in command and maybe she

will change things for the good. It's kind of like the

science experiment where you put a mouse in an easy

maze and the center of the maze is a block of cheese.

The mouse follows the scent and finds the cheese. Every day the mouse knows to expect that cheese in the

center so he expects the cheese to be there. Soon he

doesn’t follow his nose anymore because he knows

that this cheese will be waiting for him every day. Until one day the cheese is moved to a different location

and the mouse is confused and becomes angry that his

cheese has been moved. The mouse would rather die

than use his nose to help him change his direction to

find the new location of his cheese because he was so

used to having the cheese in the same place every day,

he doesn’t like change. And that’s what American politics are like. If you change one thing that does not

work in favor of the white man, he would rather kill or

be killed because he doesn’t like change.

So, I’m thinking this new President won’t make

a difference in American politics, he will follow the

same direction as prior Presidents before him because

the path to the cheese hasn’t changed, so why change

it if it works for him, right? But even then, past Presidents never really “changed” anything. It may look

like it changed but the cheese in the center of the maze

only got bigger for everyone to see, and by that, the

cheese hasn’t moved or changed we just think if it’s

bigger, it must be good.

Now don’t get me wrong, maybe this new President

will finally change American politics, and maybe the

cheese will be moved and it will be because it will

make it better for all of us. Who knows, maybe this

new President will “Make a Difference” as the posters say, or he will make sure to include everyone like

Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer who wasn’t included

in any reindeer games but still Santa made Rudolf the

leader. Maybe this new President is like Santa and he

will make us Natives into Leaders, but who knows,

I’m a cat, and cats don’t like snow.

928-734-3283

feedback

Call or email us to tell us if we are doing a good job. We need your

Hopi Tutuveni wants to know how we are

doing.

Solution - Cornucopia, Harvest, November, Pilgrim, Turkey, Cranberry, Mayflower, Plymouth, Holiday,

Wampanoag, Pumpkin - THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY

Across - 1, Plymouth, 4, Cornucopia, 8, Corn, 10, Pilgrims, 11, Mayflower, 13, Puritans, 14, Turkey, 15,

Squanto. Down - 2, Thanksgiving, 3, Longhouse, 5, Harvest, 6, Fall, 7, England, 9, Wamponoag, 12, Pumpkin

Hopi Tutuveni November 10, 2021

Native American Heritage Month celebrates

Indigenous communities

Beaded moccasins owned and worn by Kansas state Rep. Ponka-We Victors from fall 2020. (Photo by Jourdan Bennett-Begaye, Indian Country Today)

Shondiin Silversmith

Arizona Mirror

November is Native American Heritage Month, and

for Indigenous people across the country, it’s a chance

to share the unique ancestry, traditions, and contributions

their communities make today and have made throughout

history.

“Far too often in our founding era and in the centuries

since, the promise of our Nation has been denied to Native Americans who have lived on this land since time immemorial,” President Joe Biden said in the proclamation

naming November National Native American Heritage

Month.

“Despite a painful history marked by unjust Federal

policies of assimilation and termination, American Indian

and Alaska Native peoples have persevered,” he added.

Biden signed a proclamation on Oct. 28, proclaiming

November as National Native American Heritage Month.

This provides a national spotlight for Indigenous people, communities, and organizations as they work to educate and share stories about the tribal nations across the

US.

“During National Native American Heritage Month,

we celebrate the countless contributions of Native peoples past and present, honor the influence they have

had on the advancement of our Nation, and recommit

ourselves to upholding trust and treaty responsibilities,

strengthening Tribal sovereignty, and advancing Tribal

self-determination,” Biden said.

There are 574 federally recognized tribes within the

US, according to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and each

tribe has its own culture and traditions.

Federally recognized tribes in the US do not include

state-recognized tribes and tribes that have not been

granted state or federal recognition.

In Arizona, there are 22 federally recognized tribes,

and each has its own culture, history and traditions —

and the state has a population of over 332,000 Indigenous

people, one of the highest in the US. Tribal land makes

up 28 percent of Arizona’s land base, according to the

Arizona Governor’s office.

In 2020, Gov. Doug Ducey released a proclamation

recognizing November as Native American Heritage

Month in Arizona. The governor has not issued a similar

proclamation this year.

In November, some of the tribes often take the opportunity to share more about themselves by hosting events

or educational sessions throughout the month, but due to

COVID-19, many of those have reverted online or are

under their local COVID-19 restrictions.

Gila River Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis commended

Biden’s proclamation for November.

“Native American Heritage Month attests to the resilience and strength of the Gila River Indian Community, tribes across the state of Arizona, and across Indian

Country,” Lewis said. “I appreciate President Biden’s

proclamation designating the month of November as Native American Month and acknowledging that not only in

this month but in every month, we must honor the enduring cultures and contributions of all Native Americans.”

“There is no aspect of American history that has not

been impacted by our tribal communities, which predate

the state’s and nation’s founding by centuries. From military service to agriculture to the conservation of water

and land, our tribes have always played a hugely significant role in shaping the world around us,” Lewis added.

“Our heritage speaks to our defining ability to meet every

challenge, to transcend even the most difficult circumstances, and to contribute to the fabric of this country.”

On the Navajo Nation, President Jonathan Nez and Vice

President Myron Lizer shared their acknowledgment of

National Native American Heritage Month across their

social media platforms Monday.

November is a month “to honor the hope, future, and

resilience of Indigenous people, including Navajo peo-

ple, and to celebrate Native cultures, languages, and indigeneity,” their post reads

“The month is a time to cherish and celebrate our rich

and diverse cultures, traditions, languages, and legacies,”

Nez said. “Our cultures and traditions are very much alive

every day and with continued strength and resilience, our

children and grandchildren will carry our teachings into

the future.”

On a national level, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland —

the first Native American to hold a cabinet post — kicked

off the month in a video address on her Twitter page highlighting some of the work the U.S. Department of Interior continues to do for Native Americans, Alaska Natives,

Native Hawaiians, and Island communities. Haaland is

Laguna Pueblo from New Mexico.

“This month, we honor the gifts of our ancestors by

celebrating Indigenous knowledge, traditions, language,

and culture. But at Interior, we do that every day,” Haaland said.

“We center our work on the voices of Indigenous people as we address the Missing and Murdered Indigenous

peoples crisis and take action to help people heal from the

painful forced assimilation practices of the Indian Boarding Schools,” she added.

“Native American history is American history and it’s

only by recognizing that history that we can build a future

that is equitable and inclusive. Happy Native American

Heritage Month everyone,” Haaland said.

Google took part in honoring Indigenous people for

Native American Heritage Month with a Google doodle

featuring the late Zuni Pueblo artist We:wa.

The doodle was illustrated by Zuni Pueblo artist Mallery Quetawki, and it’s a tribute to the late We:wa, who

was a Zuni Pueblo fiber artist, weaver and potter.

“The late We:wa was a revered cultural leader and

mediator within the Zuni tribe, devoting their life to the

preservation of Zuni traditions and history,” Google said.

Hopi Tutuveni November 10, 2021

Native American Heritage

Month celebrates Indigenous

communities, Cont.

‘Our nations, our stories’

How did Native American Heritage Month get started? The first proclamation for Native American Heritage Month came in 1990 from President George H.W.

Bush, after Congress passed a resolution that designated

November 1990 as National American Indian Heritage

Month.

In 1991, Congress passed another resolution indicating

that every November will be proclaimed as “American

Indian Heritage Month,” and since then, every sitting

president has signed a proclamation.

The proclamations didn’t stop there: 18 years later,

Congress passed the “Native American Heritage Day Act

of 2009,” which designates the Friday following Thanksgiving Day of each year as “Native American Heritage

Day.”

These proclamations shine a national spotlight on Indigenous communities across the US, and many large Native organizations join in to raise awareness and celebrate

November.

For instance, the National Congress of American Indians kicked off their Native American Heritage Month

campaign Monday by announcing their theme on Twitter:

“Our Nations, Our Stories: Reclamation through Education.”

“The stories and unique histories of tribal governments

are what connect our communities and people — but

most often, they are told for us, rooted in misconceptions

and half-truths,” NCAI tweeted.

“Through public education, we can reclaim the narrative and promote a shared understanding of Tribal Nations’ rightful place in the family of American governments,” they added.

Celebrations for November pop up across the country

and vary from community to community, but one of the

largest national celebrations is the Rock Your Mocs social

media event.

Rock Your Mocs is a social media event that showcases Indigenous people wearing their traditional moccasins

and encourages people to wear their moccasins, snap a

photo or video and share their stories using the event’s

hashtags.

“We, as Indigenous people stand united through our

tribal individuality, symbolically wear our moccasins,

honor our ancestors, and indigenous peoples worldwide,

during Rock Your Mocs and National Native American

Heritage Month,” organizers stated on Facebook.

The Rock Your Mocs Facebook page announced that

his year the event starts Nov. 14 and will end Nov. 20.

Native kids & vaccinations: ‘Get it done now. It's safe

In this Feb. 19, 2021, file photo, Grace John, who works at a school in San Lorenzo, gets a COVID-19 shot at a mobile vaccination

clinic run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the state in Hayward, California. (AP Photo/Terry Chea, File)

Indian Country Today

Children, ages 5 to 11, are now

eligible to get vaccinated against

COVID-19, marking a major event

to protect young populations from

the deadly pandemic.

U.S. health officials, including a

panel of independent experts and the

director of the Centers for Disease

Control, voted Tuesday to approve

the Pfizer vaccine for children. It was

not previously offered to this age

group.

Children’s doses of the Pfizer vaccine consists of one-third of the dose

adults receive.

Full inoculation requires two injections, three weeks apart.

The news has important implications for Native communities, Tlingit

expert Dr. Mary J. Owen told Indian

Country Today on Tuesday.

“Kids are going to school, and over

and over, no matter how well we try

to protect them, they're still getting

infected there, and then they're bringing that infection back home.”

Owen, Tlingit, is the president of

the Association of American Indian

Physicians and executive director of

the Center of American Indian and

Minority Health at the University of

Minnesota.

She urged children to be vaccinated to protect all generations.

“We are still losing critical members, such as elders, children, and

other people who haven't been vaccinated in our communities. So get it

done now. It's safe.”

The vaccine was found to be

90 percent effective in preventing

COVID-19 in children 5 to 11, according to data by the CDC in clinical trials. The study included approx-

imately 3,000 children.

If you were speaking to the families of Native children specifically,

would you urge them to get their kids

vaccinated? What would you say to

them?

Dr. Mary Owen: “I would definitely urge them to get their kids vaccinated. We are still seeing significant

death and illness in our community

and it is because not enough people

are vaccinated. We haven't been able

to, until now, get our kids vaccinated,

but this is the final piece that we need

to keep our community safe.”

Owen said the research behind

the children’s vaccine is “extremely

safe.”

“People don't realize just how

much has gone into preparations and

the work to get these vaccinations

out to every single community, of every single age, and for our children

whom we worry about the most, of

course, the testing has been much

more stringent,” Owen said.

Data shows COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted Native

communities and is more deadly for

American Indians and Alaska Natives than other races and ethnicities.

“It's one of the areas of our highest health disparities. And in fact, we

died at four times the non-Native rate

for H1N1, and we're seeing similar

effects, three times the rates, of other

populations from COVID-19.”

The CDC’s Director Rochelle

Walensky said while the risk of severe disease and death is lower in

young children than adults, it is real.

She added that COVID-19 has had a

“profound” social, mental health and

educational impact on youngsters,

including widening disparities in

learning.

“There are children in the second

grade who have never experienced a

normal school year,” Walensky said.

“Pediatric vaccination has the power

to help us change all of that.”

The process to get emergency use

authorization of the vaccine required

a green light from both the Food and

Drug Administration and the CDC.

Both agencies had special panels of

independent experts who evaluated

the data from clinical trials.

In this Feb. 19, 2021, file photo,

Grace John, who works at a school in

San Lorenzo, gets a COVID-19 shot

at a mobile vaccination clinic run by

the Federal Emergency Management

Agency and the state in Hayward,

California. (AP Photo/Terry Chea,

File)

The American Academy of Pediatrics welcomed the decision as its

members get ready to start the first

injections into little arms, which began Wednesday.

Over the weekend, drugmaker

Pfizer began shipping millions of the

pediatric shots to states, doctors’ offices and pharmacies. This move allowed many communities to prepare

for the inoculations ahead of time.

In the U.S., there have been more

than 8,300 coronavirus-related hospitalizations of kids ages 5 to 11,

about a third requiring intensive care,

according to government data. The

CDC has recorded at least 94 deaths

in that age group, with additional reports under investigation.

And while the U.S. has seen a recent downturn in COVID-19 cases,

experts are worried about another

uptick with holiday travel and as

winter sends more activity indoors

where it’s easier for the coronavirus

to spread.

Hopi Tutuveni November 10, 2021

Zuni culture celebrated

from one artist to

another

Google Doodles is featuring a two-spirit Zuni Pueblo fiber artist, weaver and potter We:wa in honor of Native American Heritage Month on Nov. 1, 2021. (Google screenshot)

Shaun Griswold

Source New Mexico

Mallery Quetawki signed onto the biggest art project of

her life and couldn’t tell anyone. Her family and friends

noticed she was busier than normal, but she couldn’t say

much.

“I was living and breathing nothing but this project for

that month and a half,” Quetawki said.

She told them one thing and it suddenly created an understanding.

Google.

“They’re like ‘All right, that’s all you got to say.’ ”

Google updated its homepage late Halloween night,

hours before Native American Heritage Month officially

began in November.

Quetawki and anyone else visiting the website could

finally see the interactive doodle that’s a lesson in Zuni

Pueblo culture and highlights the notable late artist

We:wa.

“As a mother, daughter, matriarch of sorts, from my

community in Zuni we have a lot of roles and responsibilities as individuals and as women,” Quetawki said.

“I have a role that I need to make sure I’m teaching and

I’m learning, and teaching at the same time. I need to

absorb everything I can and teach the things that I already

know. And I’ve actually really put that heavily into my

artwork.”

The Google doodle project was a collaboration between the company and the tribe. The Zuni Pueblo council had to approve the artwork and story.

The project also includes a YouTube video with further

history about the project and We:wa.

Curtis Quam and Cordelia Hooee with the A:shiwi

A:wan Museum and Heritage Center in Zuni coordinated

between the two parties and brought Quetawki into the

mix to create paintings for the project.

It was up all day Nov. 1 to celebrate Native American

Heritage Month. When a new Google doodle is posted on

Nov. 2, people can still access the images and all information about We:wa on its website.

We:wa (wee-wah) was a cultural figure in Zuni Pueblo.

A person who was born around 1849 and was recognized

as a third gender outside of the male/female binary, that

is referred to in the Shiwi (Zuni) language as Łamana.

We:wa learned skills that were taken on by men and

women. He became an expert weaver, a skill practiced in

the tribe primarily by men. She became a skilled ceramics

potter and cooked alongside women in the community.

We:wa was one of the first to sell their art to non-Indigenous people, gaining greater recognition as an artist.

They also became a storyteller and protector of Shiwi

songs and dances as a spiritual leader.

We:wa was also an ambassador, traveling to Washington D.C. in 1885, where they lobbied U.S. officials to

protect Zuni from settlers.

During a recent visit to the Smithsonian Museum,

Quetawki said she saw papers and artwork We:wa created.

“It just all came together like I was in such awe and

amazement, seeing the other culture items that they either

collected from We:wa while there (visiting) or that she

actually created and gave to the museum,” she said.

When Quetawki signed up for the project in late September the fast deadline and process was something different. A painter, she had to send sketches to the Google

team, something she says she doesn’t do when creating

her paintings.

This was also the first time she had one of her pieces

animated.

She said her mother passed away from cancer last year

and that loss centered her priorities to share Zuni cultures.

“There’s kind of a taking over of our responsibilities,”

she said. “I have to connect with individuals, especially Native American communities and revive that idea of

sharing knowledge and passing it down. And I feel that

being born and raised in Zuni is like that, that was already

there. And it just got stronger and stronger as the years

went.”

The Google doodle launch quickly turned into a celebration for tribal communities. At her kids’ schools in

Zuni, it was the talk among students and teachers.

“Several teachers who are really good friends of mine

are like, ‘Oh, thank you for helping us start with that blog

today on Native American Heritage Month,’ ” she said.

“I’m trying to help pave the way of using art as a teaching

tool.”

The lessons in Zuni matriarchy leadership are also

represented in the Google project by songs from Juanita

Edaakie and Loretta Beyuka from the Zuni Olla Maidens.

“We have all maidens throughout the whole interactive game, and to me that just also brings up the idea of

our matriarchy here,” Quetawki said. “Just the power of

strong women and how women lead in our communities

and things. We have pictures of the art, the weaving and

so many items that were included in the paintings and

the doodles and there’s so much story to be told. It’s not

going to end with just Zuni on Google. We basically put

our whole culture out there and there’s a lot to be talked

about.”

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.