An urgent appeal came to us in February from friends of the Havasupai Tribe. Some 76 tribal members who live in the remote depths of the Grand Canyon had contracted Covid-19 or were exposed to the virus and were isolating in Flagstaff to prevent further infections in their community. Health First swiftly obtained medicine, hydration drinks, diapers, and other supplies for the children and adults in isolation.
Up until then, the Havasupai had avoided Covid-19 through strict quarantine rules and by closing their village to visitors. Testing and vaccinations added to the fortress of tactics they utilized to avoid infections.
All this was done to protect and preserve the Havasupai who number less than 750, said Stuart Chavez, member of the Havasupai Tribal Council and part of the tribe’s emergency response team.
“Our village is unique and faced many challenges with the pandemic,” he said. “The needs were many as a result of cutting off visitors and tourists from coming into our village.”
Chavez said tribal members have never experienced such a “complete lockdown” and many suffered from cabin fever. The loss of tourism, which is a main source of income for the village, was especially difficult for the Havasupai.
“Even so, we were willing to do what had to be done,” Chavez said. “Many of our elders have preexisting conditions that put them at high risk if they were to be infected.”
The Havasupai (People of the Blue Green Water) have lived for centuries in Supai Village. Not accessible by road, people must make an 8-mile hike or horseback ride to get there. Alternatively, one can arrive by helicopter or by boating down the Colorado River and then making a precarious hike up.
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