May 2021 COMMUNITY UPDATE Division of Community Development Newsletter May 2021 In this Issue Nationwide 'Wash Station Challenge' to • N a t i o n w i d e ' W a s h S t a t i o n Challenge' to Provide New Hand- Washing Facilities to Navajo Nation Provide New Hand-Washing Facilities Communities • CHID Housing Project Highlight to Navajo Nation Communities • Chapter Emergency Operations Response Teams Play Big Role During COVID-19 Pandemic • Commission on Navajo Government D e v e l o p m e n t h e a r s c h a p t e r improvement reports and votes to allow hybrid meeting options • Heavy Equipment Updates • Could helium lift rural Arizona economy? Locals say they want answers about fracking plans • Why Navajo Mountain, one of Utah’s most remote communities, may become less isolated • Bulletin Board • Personnel News • Navajo Nation Census Information Center News • Arizona Governor signs two voter s u p p r e s s i o n b i l l s t h a t disproportionately impact Navajo voters • Navajo Nation Dikos Ntsaaigii-19 (COVID-19) Stuation Report # 452 • COVID-19 Information and Flyers A handwashing station on the Navajo Nation. RED FEATHER DEVELOPMENT GROUP Did You Know... The Navajo terms for some common everyday objects were borrowed from WASHINGTON, May 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Spanish. For example: pig. In Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Foundation (IWSH) is excited to Spanish, it is pitzote. In Navajo, bisóódi launch the Wash Station Challenge 2021, a new collaboration with the DigDeep Navajo Water Project, the United Association of Events: Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing, Pipefitting and May: Tʼą́ą́tsoh - "Growth of bigger Sprinkler Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada (UA), and leaf plants" May 31: Memorial Day Ferguson. June: Ya'iishyaashchili - "Planting of Early Crops" The Wash Station Challenge will be launched online Tuesday, June June 1: Navajo Memorial Day 1, and will run through the remainder of the month. Assembly June 14: Flag Day projects will be hosted at 10 participating UA locals nationwide, June 19: Juneteenth where a series of mobile wash station facilities will be built that have June 20: Father's Day been designed to provide a month's worth of non-potable water for June 21: Summer Solstice daily hand-washing and general hygiene for a family of six. Once May 2021 completed, the wash stations will be shipped to designated DigDeep staging points on the Navajo Nation. DigDeep teams will then deliver, install and maintain the wash stations at sites that will initially include community health service facilities, chapter houses, and farms. "These new hand-washing stations are going to provide further hygiene capacity for Navajo people and community sites that are currently without, and help further protect general public health and safety in the face of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic," said IWSH Managing Director Seán Kearney. COVID-19 has hit the Navajo Nation particularly hard, registering some of the highest infection rates in the United States. Lack of running water has been a major factor, limiting residents' ability to wash their hands regularly to prevent the virus from spreading. "The addition of these outdoor hand-washing stations in densely populated community centers is timely and necessary," said George McGraw, DigDeep founder and CEO. "Hand-washing is still a critical step in sanitation and stopping the spread of the virus." Two wash station models have been developed — a grid-powered version that uses a 120-volt trough-type heater that sits inside a 210-gallon water tank, and an off-grid version that incorporates a 12-volt circulating pump and a timer. The pump is set on a timer to circulate the water and keep it from freezing, which is vital for wash stations that must perform through winter conditions in the most remote and exposed parts of the reservation. IWSH partner and sponsor Ferguson is generously donating materials for the assembly project, making them available for the 10 participating UA locals at Ferguson branches across the country. "Our UA locals are proud to utilize our trained men and women to assist the Navajo Nation with this critical need," said UA Assistant Director of Education and Training Raymond Boyd. "These wash stations are going to have an immediate impact, providing non-potable water for hygiene, which will ultimately cut down on the spread of disease and virus." The launch webinar at 4 p.m. EDT Tuesday, June 1, is free and open to all and will provide further insight and information on this pilot Wash Station Challenge collaboration. To register for the online launch, visit https://bit.ly/2QYuo2r. SOURCE International Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Foundation READ MORE AT: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nationwide-wash-station-challenge- to-provide-new-hand-washing-facilities-to-navajo-nation-communities-301301357.html May 2021 CHID Housing Project Highlight Kinlichee, Arizona T h e H o u s i n g I m p ro v e m e n t P r o g r a m ( H I P ) u n d e r t h e C o m m u n i t y H o u s i n g & Infrastructure Department (CHID) began construction on a new one bedroom / one bathroom home in Kinlichee, AZ on September 14, 2020. The construction crew faced many challenges to complete this home, including COVID-19 restrictions, severe weather conditions, scarce material quantity due to material cost increases, but they were able to complete the project and conduct the final inspection on May 20, 2021. After the final inspection, the HIP construction crew, Irving Shorty, provided Helen Tsosie the homeowners certificate and keys to her new home. A huge thank you to the HIP staff for their hard work and dedication in providing new homes to Navajo families. Chapter Emergency OperationsMay 2021 Response Teams Play Big Role During COVID-19 Pandemic The Division of Community Development (DCD) leadership team would like to recognize the Navajo Nation Chapters for their dedication and commitment during the COVID-19 Emergency Operation on the Navajo Nation. In coordination with the Navajo Department of Health – Health Command Operations Center (HCOC), the Division of Community Development established the “Chapter Branch” within the incident command system in March 2020. The “Chapter Branch” was led by Dr. Pearl Yellowman, Division Director, and Sonlatsa Jim-Martin, Department Manager for the Administrative Service Centers (ASC). Initially, the Chapter staff and elected Chapter Officials at all 110 Navajo Chapters were instructed to update their FEMA Incident Command System (ICS) training certifications in preparation for the emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic. All DCD, ASC, and Chapter employees and Chapter Officials were instructed to take the ICS 100 course, “Introduction to the Incident Command System,” which introduces the Incident Command System (ICS) and provides the foundation for higher level ICS trainings. This course describes the history, features and principles, and organizational structure of the Incident Command System. It also explains the relationship between ICS and the National Incident Management System (NIMS). They were also instructed to take the ICS 700 course, which provides an overview and an “Introduction of the National Incident Management System (NIMS).” The National Incident Management System defines the comprehensive approach guiding the whole community - all levels of government, nongovernmental organizations (NGO), and the private sector - to work together seamlessly to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from the effects of incidents. The course provides learners with a basic understanding of NIMS concepts, principles, and components which Chapters are familiar with due to other emergency situations such as natural disasters (forest fires, floods, winter freeze, etc). The following Navajo Chapters took an active role with the “DCD Chapter Branch” emergency operation and volunteered to become Staging Posts or Points of Distribution for emergency logistics and supply distribution during the pandemic which included receiving food supplies from large military trucks from the National Guard and large trucks from donations and CARES Act emergency supplies: 1. Standing Rock Chapter – New Mexico 2. Thoreau Chapter – New Mexico 3. Sheepsprings Chapter – New Mexico 4. San Juan Chapter – New Mexico 5. Ramah Chapter – New Mexico 6. Tohajilee Chapter – New Mexico 7. Alamo Chapter – New Mexico 8. Chinle Chapter – Arizona 9. Dennethotso Chapter – Arizona 10. Whitecone Chapter - Arizona 11. Ganado Chapter - Arizona Tuba City Chapter worked in coordination with the Tuba City Fair Office Incident Command Center in Arizona. The Division of Community Development would like to recognize and acknowledge all the Chapter employees and Chapter Officials who participated in the Staging Posts and Points of Distribution under the Incident Command System in coordination with the Health Command Operations Center. “We want to recognize the CERT and ALERT Teams too,” stated Sonlatsa Jim-Martin, “The Chapters that had CERT/ALERT teams trained in the ICS mobilized very quickly.” Due to the unique and historic nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, the emergency response impacted the entire Navajo Nation and all 110 Chapters unlike a natural disaster response. The HCOC responded to the situation with a “Unified Command Center” with all hospitals, clinics, public health partners, and county, state, and federal representatives from the CDC and FEMA. The ASC Department continues to encourage all Chapter employees and newly elected Officials to take the free online ISC 100 and ICS 700 courses at the following website. Before you take the FEMA training, make sure you register for your FEMA SID account first so you can get a copy of your official certificate of completion. DCD encourages community members and youth leaders to take the online courses available free of charge.