Orenda Tribe Is Helping To Protect The Navajo Community
The Diné (Navajo) community, along with many other indigenous communities, have suffered greatly due to Covid-19. In fact, the Navajo Nation actually surpassed New York State for the highest infection rate in the US. Yet, they are seeing less help than most areas! Devastated to see her community suffering, indigenous fashion designer, Amy Yeung, founder of Orenda Tribe, has been working non-stop partnering with Outdoor Voices and NDN Collective to bring aid, food, water, masks, PPE, supplies, and awareness to these populations in need. Jejune had the pleasure to do an Instagram Live interview with Amy, which can be seen here (Part 1 and Part 2), but we at Jejune wanted to highlight some of the takeaways here.
Where does the name Orenda come from?
Orenda (ōˈrendə) Tribe. Yes, even though I'm Diné (din-Eh). When you say you’re Diné, it means you’re Navajo but most people know Navajo. If you are Navajo, then you normally say you’re Diné. So that's where that comes in the discussion a lot. I started Orenda Tribe maybe seven years ago when my daughter was around 9 or 10 years old. It was the feeling that I had at that point in my life. I wanted to get out of corporate and start upcycling. Orenda is actually an Iroquois word, not a Diné word, that means: inside all of us we have the forces to create change. For me, that was to create a sustainable lifestyle. At this point in my life, this chapter is all about giving back and being of service, passing on whatever I've learned in my lifetime to a new generation or anybody that needs that help, specifically in indigenous communities. Just looking at this pandemic, I don't know anybody else that's Navajo that's had the background I had in supply chains, sourcing, even this whole career I had in fast fashion. I'm having to use that skill set now because, you know, I'm not the least bit phased by the fact that we need to get stuff out there next week. Or that I need to figure out how to get goods from China to New Mexico in a week. You know, that's pretty normal stuff when you work in a big corporation and you need to create wealth, and you need to have timelines, and sometimes there are crazy timelines.
So you guys went into this pretty early on then?
Yeah, I was actually in L.A. and then I drove back here. We had our first case in New Mexico. It hadn't hit the Navajo yet and, like most people we had the whole first week and a half of freaking out about money and our pantry. So I got through all that. Got my kid, she moved out to New Mexico with me for a month because I didn't want her to be in L.A. by herself, and then, basically started seeing what was going on in the Navajo Reservation. We were already funding for the children at Tohaali School so they'd have food on the weekend. I was already in a funding mode. So we just expansively moved into masks, civilian masks, food funding, sourcing non-perishables. I had this really cool idea; I was on a Zoom call with Outdoor Voices because we had shot some video footage before the pandemic and were talking about how we should reframe that story now that we are in a different situation, and then I was thinking: Why don't we just ask them for fabric? So it was just this random thing. I was on the call thinking: I just need a quarter inch of elastic and I can't find it anywhere. Why don't I just ask them if they have any fabric with spandex? And that just started this whole idea of getting activewear clients that I used to work with to donate fabric because it's got 15 - 20% spandex in it so we didn't have to source all the trim. And then, I called up my friend Bethany who lives in L.A, she's another indigenous designer. I was like, "dude, do you have any factories that do your swimwear and are still open?" She said, "yeah we do, they're essential workers" and I'm like, "can we make masks?" Then it all happened. And within 48 hours we had the pattern done, and within a week we shipped 8,000 masks to the Navajo Reservation.
Let us switch over to the fact that obviously Covid is hitting the Navajo nation so heavily. Also, I was curious, I know we are speaking a lot about Navajo nation and I realize the Navajo nation is the largest of the Indigenous populations, particularly in that area. Do you know the impact in other areas?
I think Cherokee is the largest Indigenous tribe, but we're the largest land mass. One of the really great ideas that happened through the last year is that we became very connected with Toohali community school. You might've seen what we'd been doing with the kids last year and within the BIE school system, which is the Bureau of Indian Education. They shut down schools the same as we had public schools shut down nationwide. Because this is an impoverished area, these kids still get free lunch delivered to them in their home. We had an amazing network of free delivery service. Everyday there's a bus or a truck that goes out and delivers to kids their school lunch. Whenever we did the mask drive, we sent the masks directly to Toohali school. They unpacked the boxes and, really, within two weeks of the pandemic, everybody within that community had a mask. Therefore, Grey Hills had no COVID-19 cases because they had protection early on. Then we got more and more masks that were being sent, and donations, and these sweet angels that work there, the teachers, the staff, they were like, "we can stay after, we can deliver further." I wish I had been more expansive thinking because I would've done it with more schools. That's just where I kicked myself. If I had really thought this through, I could've done this through all BIE schools and reduce the rate, but for the second wave I have a much better plan.
Hopefully the second wave won't be as bad.
There will be a second wave. There'll probably be a third wave. It's just a different dynamic there, with the whole situation with the water and electricity infrastructure. When I talk to people about how different the pandemic is for someone living on the reservation... imagine that first week when we all rushed out and bought all the food and brought it home. Imagine if you didn't have the money to do two weeks. On top of that, imagine if you didn't have a refrigerator or freezer to store food because you don't have electricity. Imagine during that whole first month when we were scared to death and we were washing our hands a million times, and imagine if you didn't have running water. It was just the perfect storm for this virus to exponentially grow at this pace. We didn't get enough PPE out early enough and we're suffering the effects of that. I'm really worried about our frontline healthcare. They're extremely exposed right now with very little PPE. That's why we jumped in past week and raised a bunch of money to ship things to a doctor who has really given us great guidance on what's needed, and we're just hustling to get through Customs and get it delivered to her in Flagstaff. It's things like that, that we need to do. It's just how it works.
I hear there is testing going out in the Navajo nations and they are actually doing a better job than probably in New York where I'm at.
I believe 11% of our population has been tested. It's very high, it's wonderful. It allows us to father data and make educated decisions about this stuff. They're doing a phenomenal job on testing. The only thing that might be a little glitch in that system is because we have so many that have left the reservation and live in border towns like Farmington or Gallup. I'm not sure if the population that's COVID positive there, is in the number for Navajo or in the general state of New Mexico or Arizona. It's just devastating to be number 1. I mean, I cried at least half a day after the bad news came out because it's just devastating for everyone. So we're doing all we can, we're grouping together. I'm definitely offering any help on the supply chain or anybody that needs help writing purchase orders, or medical PPE buys.
So is that like gowns and stuff for nursing homes and hospitals and stuff like that?
Yeah, we brought in a good amount of KN95, because that was something that was readily available. N95 were confiscated at the border, and our dear President was responsible for confiscating most of that after he had told the hospitals they need to order it. And then they ordered it, it came and he took everything. Don't even get me started. We are working on some antibacterial cloth covers that would extend the length of the time the medical doctors can actually be using these masks. So that's one way we can help just to cut and sew. Finding these super high-tech fabrics we used to work with in activewear and do some mask covers like they did in New York whenever they were low. We're also looking at sanitizing and what we could do in that area with the local soap distilleries and different things that can sanitize N95's and other equipment. So yeah, it's a beautiful collective, a sisterhood of women. I'm doing work under Orenda Tribe, but anything my other sisters that are working so hard need from me... I mean, who cares who's name, or what find it comes from. I don't freaking care, it's not about ego.
We are in this time where a lot of America is super broke, people have lost their jobs. What people aren't talking about is how the Indigenous population, currently before COVID, was 40% below the poverty line. Of that population, in general, at least 30-40% is currently living without running water, which seems like a crazy thing to deal with right now. More than anything, you need to clean stuff. How are people cleaning stuff?
I'll start with the water and I'll tell you how it's happening if you don't have water. They have to haul water and I was so shocked the first time I saw this. Especially when I think of some of our elder population. If you don't have water at your house, you probably got a pickup truck because you live on a long dirt road about 1-4 hours from the nearest town. You have to drive to the nearest place to fill the water from either a well or a water spot. It is so exhausting. It's like you have to fill this giant plastic thing that goes on the back of a flatbed with water, then drive the water back to your house, and you might pump that water into smaller barrels to be used over the next week. That water is used for the home, for cooking, it's also used for livestock. That's the reason a lot more people were asking "why don't more people grow their own food?" Do you have any idea how much work it would be to haul that much water to have a garden in addition to taking care of your goats and sheep? In addition to having some water in the house? We even had problems when they shutdown Gallup because that was one of the main areas people went to get water. We had to bring in emergency water. It’s a huge infrastructure issue. It’s going to take a while to figure that out. Companies like DIGDEEP Water are doing an amazing job at shifting that dynamic into a new innovative way of thinking about it. Those are the kind of people we want to slogan with and support. Digdeep.org, my friend runs that and he's just a wicked smart dude that is just crushing it as far as innovation and innovative ideas on how to deal with that problem.
I know you partnered up with the NDN collective. Can you talk a little bit about that?
Yeah, they're just an amazing support for me because they're doing such expansive work within Indigenous communities and everywhere. We had actually started talking three months ago because I was looking to build a skatepark out in Toohali and they were going to help me with accepting the funding for that and working with other organizations. Then, the pandemic hit and I was like, "hey guys, if I get really big donations or sponsorship can we work on COVID-19 together?" and they said, “hell to the yeah”. I've got an amazing group behind me that is helping me with bigger problems I have, logistics, distribution, business funding, things I need to get going. We need to get it going now, so they are helping me with solutions in that area. Just so much support and connectivity amongst the other communities they are already working with. I just feel so lucky to be part of their little family. They are wonderful.
This is the time to be making changes, I feel. On that, how can the average person help? Tell us how all of our lovely viewers can get involved and what we can do.
I invite everyone to be a part of this. I would've said the number 1 thing we can do is amplify — do anything that resonates with you in our storytelling, and our facts and figures. Just the day-to-day work we're doing. Just help us amplify. If you help us amplify auctions, fundraising helps the whole Diné Tribe. Just getting more funding. Even educating some people that need to know some of these facts. We encourage everyone to repost to expand the word, that Indigenous voice. Number 2 would be to shop the auction or turn people on to that because that's an easy way for me to just have this offering for my friends and creative colleagues where they donated these beautiful things. 100% of anything that sells, I'm reinvesting the following Monday and Tuesday where we'll write purchase orders. That's kind of our fast money. Really quickly we shift that money into aid. Definitely through the fund we have set up through NDN, which is a 501c3, so that's a tax deductible for larger donations and is part of our crowd funding. That one is funding our Bethany Yellowtail production for our masks in LA. It’s going towards medical PPE for our frontline healthcare. It's also helping deliver food boxes to out COVID positive families and unsheltered relatives in the Gallup and Farmington area. Those are some people in desperate need right now because they have already tested positive. The other thing is if you are a maker, creator, or if you have acquired a bunch of hand sanitizers, or a box of N95's or better yet, a large shipment of N95 masks, you're going to be my best friend. But anybody that has something for donations or is making things, contact us at hello@orendatribe.com and my friends Cassidy and Nicole are manning that channel. They will direct you on where to ship things to. Or maybe conversations, if you have a lead on PPE sourcing. We have healthcare professionals at first nations clinic. That's the main thing, when we say "critical aid" or "rapid response" we don't mean we have money sitting in a fund for a month while we wait to spend it. That means on Monday, you better damn figure out how to get that converted to your people or you’re not doing a very good job with organization. That's just a business thing for me. When I get that money in, I need to put it in action. We not in a situation where we let things pile up for a month before we decide "how we are going to spend this next month." We make weekly decisions based on facts, based on where the COVID is moving on the Res, based on these networks of communication we have with healthcare professionals, and we're really deciding on a weekly basis, ok "we have this much money, this is the best area to focus in."
Well it sounds like you're doing an incredible job, Amy.
I just want to say thanks to everyone because it's been a hard time for all of us. This has been just so much change, so much fear, so much everything. It’s heavy, and the fact that people are even emailing me and asking how they can help, it gives me a lot of hope. It means people have heart. Thinking about things other than themselves. They're not spending the day TikTok-ing to self promote. They're actually thinking, “wow, what can I do to help other people”, and that inspires me endlessly because we need to expand and continue that outward. We need more and more people involved. If they don't know they need to be involved yet, it will be just a gentle shake that we all need to be a part of something. You can go to bed every night and feel really good about what you did to help someone else. You can set a really amazing example for your children by leading the example you set for them right now. I think for everybody that wants to be apart of the change, there's not a better time for the call-to-action than now.
To learn more about the Orenda Tribe please follow them via the below platforms:
https://www.orendatribe.com/
Instagram: @orendatribe
