In the coronavirus pandemic, the Navajo Nation has seen the highest per capita rate of COVID-19 infection rates in the U.S., surpassing densely populated, urban hotspots. As of May 31, there have been 5,348 positive cases and 246 deaths out of 173,000 residents. These infections stem from governmental neglect and underfunding, as many in the Navajo Nation lack running water, COVID-19 resources and federal assistance. Additionally, preexisting health conditions and lifestyle factors prominent within the Navajo Nation render its residents especially vulnerable to the virus. Homes are often cramped with several generations of families, and lack of food access elicits widespread dietary illnesses on the reservation. 

"You got the feds, you got everybody saying, 'Wash your hands with soap and water,' but our people are still hauling water,” said Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez in a digital town hall meeting on May 12. Roughly 40% of Navajo homes do not have running water, and 10% do not have electricity. This conflicts with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which call for the thorough washing of hands. Although the Navajo Nation government has called for mask wearing and issued lockdown curfews, it cannot implement all preventative measures ordered by the CDC. Respiratory complications are also brought on by indoor pollution, as Navajo homes are often heated with wood and coal.

The largest Native American reservation in the U.S., the Navajo Nation contains 173,000 people. Its 27,413 square mile semi-autonomous territory spans across parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. Like all Native Americans, the Navajo people have faced generations of genocide, dispossession, and forced relocation that came with colonization. Mark Charles, a Native American activist and U.S. presidential candidate, traces disproportionate infection and death rates to the inequities caused by settler colonialism. “It's a problem 250 years in the making, going back to how this nation was founded. The ethnic cleansing and genocidal policies … that's where the problem lies. Health care is poor, treaties are not being upheld,” he told Al-Jazeera.

Indeed, the COVID-19 outbreak parallels previous epidemics, such as smallpox, the bubonic plague, and Spanish flu that devastated indigenous peoples. The Navajo Treaty of 1868, signed by the Navajo and U.S. government, promised federal support to the Navajo Nation, including health care, infrastructure and water access. The U.S. government has since then failed to uphold this treaty. The $8 billion relief package for Native American communities, prompted by the COVID-19 stimulus bill, was only put to use by mid-May, long after the initial outbreak. This delay in funding left essential workers without protection, and led to a shortage of critical resources in health facilities. 

Preexisting health conditions brought on by reservation lifestyle habits highlight the social determinants of health that have been continuously exacerbated in communities of color. Specifically, European colonization hindered Native Americans’ agricultural methods and eating practices, resulting in current diet-related illnesses. Since the mid-1900s, reservation bound Native Americans have experienced problematic blood sugar levels, obesity, diabetes and cardiac stress. American Indian adults are over three times more likely than non-Hispanic white adults to be diagnosed with diabetes, and over 50% more likely to be obese. According to CDC data, about half of the hospitalized coronavirus patients are obese, and face higher risks of severe illness.

Anna is an Anthropology major and Global Health/Spanish double minor at Middlebury College. As an anthropology major with a focus in public health, she studies the intersection of health and sociocultural elements. She is also passionate about food systems and endurance sports.