Karletta Chief
Indigenous Food, Energy and Water Security and Sovereignty during COVID-19
Abstract: COVID-19 amplified food, energy and water (FEW) insecurities across the world and disproportionately impacted Indigenous communities. In the United States, COVID-19 is rampant on the Navajo Nation, the largest tribe in the United States where poverty rates (38%) are more than twice the state of Arizona (15%). Navajo tribal officials cite lack of healthy foods and running water as reasons for the prolific transmission resulting in one of the highest COVID-19 infection rates in the United States. Nearly 40% of remote Diné (Navajo) homes lack electricity and 30% lack running water. The Diné haul water from potable and non-potable sources 5-50 miles away incurring an enormous expense of $13.30 per 100 gallons. This talk highlights the response of the University of Arizona NSF Indigenous Food, Energy and Water Security and Sovereignty Research Training Program building upon an existing partnership with Diné College to discuss with Navajo leaders the possibility of piloting the off-grid systems in Navajo homes. In partnership with Sixth World Solutions, UArizona co-designed household water systems and piloted them in four Navajo communities. Community resilience is critical for Diné communities to respond to and recover from perturbations such as pandemics and disasters.
