PROJECT

The Black Mesa Project

2020 & 2021 Support for Black Mountain families
and elders

With your generosity, IndigenousWays has been able to look beyond the challenges and get food, water, meat, firewood and PPE gear to families who live remotely. Our 22 Relief Runs were able to acknowledge our elders and other community members and to let them know that they were not left behind. Your kindness has supported over 200 Diné families and elders living on Black Mountain, Arizona, and the Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities in the Four Corners region of the Navajo Nation.

THANK YOU!

I (Tash Terry) grew up on Black Mountain, and much of my family is still there. My grandmother was from this area and passed on May 8, 2020 at the age of 98. Many in the community are her long-term friends and family. She will continue to be a legend in the community and my ability, along with affiliates, to be of service in these times is directly tied to the communities that acknowledge my relationship to her.

Our grandmother, Margaret Dalton was Bitter Water and made from Yucca clan. Másání was born and raised on Black Mountain where she raised her children and helped many mothers birth their children. My grandmother was generous in so many ways and most of all she prayed for everyone and kept herself busy weaving rugs, herding sheep and tending to the duties on the sheep camp.

Nihi másání Margaret Dalton éí Tódích’íi’nii nílí dóó Hashk’aan Hadzohí yashchíín nít’éé ’. Dzil Yíjiin dée’ naa ghá nít’éé ’.

Black Mountain Update

Our community support continued over the summer with the delivery of a flatbed twin axle trailer and a 300-gallon water tote. The goal has always been to enable self-sufficiency and self-determination that was seriously impaired by the pandemic. We continue to receive and deliver donations for Black Mountain. We are also providing support to the Navajo/Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities who are often left out.

On November 9th-11th (17th run) and December 21st-23rd (18th run), 2021, we will embark on both communities, which will provide important supplies to both communities, including: winter wear, PPE, food, produce, firewood and much requested jig saw puzzles. We would not be doing this without you. Ahé hee’ – thank you.

The pandemic on the Navajo Nation grabbed our attention by word-of-mouth and on the news; many people in remote areas were left out on the vast Navajo Nation. During the pandemic, Black Mountain has suffered from too much isolation in the middle of too much encroaching danger. The Navajo Nation has been challenged by shocking levels of infection. Its resources are barely adequate to assess risk, much less fully address it. Black Mountain has survived centuries in its intentional isolation.

From May 21st 2020 to July 2nd 2021, IndigenousWays made 11 Black Mountain Relief Runs and 6 Deaf and Hard of Hearing Relief Run since January 2021. These relief runs were possible because of the overwhelming support from our beloved communities. We were able to take over $165,000 of emergency supplies including; cleaning supplies, hand washing stations, food, winter clothing - hats, jackets, gloves, scarves etc. We have been able to support the fifty families on the mountain over 200 people including all the elders. We could not have done with without you.