Supplies distributed to stranded Navajo

Copyright © 2009
Gallup Independent
By Karen Francis
Diné Bureau

WINDOW ROCK — Navajo Nation Division of Health Bio-Terrorism Preparedness, Navajo Health Education, Chinle Police Department and Wheatfields chapter distributed supplies to community health representative clients that live more than 5 to 15 miles from the chapter last week.

Wheatfields chapter services coordinator Paula Begay called the community outreach that is being done “Operation Yasniltees.”

Selena Manychildren, with the Bio-Terrorism Preparedness Program, said that elderly and health challenged individuals with permanent residences in the mountainous area were snowbound by recent storms. The Tsaile-Wheatfields area received up to 3 feet of snow last week.

Manychildren said that a main concern is the condition of roads leading to residential areas. Those roads will become even more impassable as the snow melts in the following days, she said.

The No. 2 concern is the availability of water for people living in remote areas, Manychildren said.

An assessment of people living in remote areas had been completed by chapter officials before the supplies arrived, she added.

On Jan. 7, six boxes of food were delivered, four households received water and two households received fire wood. Supplies included 25 pound bags of Blue Bird Flour, bags of potatoes and drinking water. A caravan of five vehicles covered about nine home sites west of the chapter to east Canyon de Chelly.

On Jan. 8, the caravan included a Fleet Management Snow-Kat to reach residences with roads inaccessible with a 4X4 vehicle. Emergency responders delivered 38 boxes of food, nine households received water, 11 households received fire wood and 16 bags of coal were delivered, Manychildren said.

That day, 21 home sites were visited in the morning and in the afternoon, one team visited four home sites toward Upper Greasewood and Horseshoe Canyon and another team visited 15 home sites at Ram Pasture, north of Route 63.

According to Manychildren, GPS readings were recalibrated for the area.

On Friday, another 33 residences were visited with nine boxes of food delivered, three households receiving water, two receiving firewood and six receiving coal.

Chapter staff and Chinle police continued with assessments, delivering supplies and responding to community needs through the weekend.