fbpx
 
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo at one of his daily COVID-19 briefings. Courtesy Photo - State of New York

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez may be under quarantine at home because he came in contact with someone who was COVID-19 positive, but he sure is in touch with outside the Navajo Indian Reservation. On Tuesday, Nez received a telephone call from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who called to offer support to the Navajo Nation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The two leaders have something in common. They are overseeing the COVID-19 pandemic in two of the hottest coronavirus spots in the United States.

New York has the most confirmed cases of the deadly virus in the country. Though not a state, the Navajo Nation, which is located on the country’s largest Indian reservation, ranks number three behind New York and New Jersey in per capita cases of confirmed coronavirus. 

Cuomo, who has gained a lot of national attention during the pandemic because of his daily briefings, has spoken brazenly about how New Yorkers help others in need and that he would assist other states. Late last week, he offered ventilators to other states, such as Michigan. One hundred ventilators arrived from New York in Lansing, Michigan on Monday. 

On Tuesday, he offered President Nez assistance to the Navajo Nation.

Late Tuesday afternoon, Nez sent out message on social media:

“Had a great conversation with @NYGovCuomo who generously offered his support for the Navajo Nation’s COVID-19 response efforts. He has great admiration and love for the Navajo people.

@NNVPLizer2019 and I greatly appreciate him reaching out to partner with us. Ahe’hee’”

Cuomo is no stranger to Indian Country. While serving as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, in July 1999, he joined then President Bill Clinton on a visit to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, the country’s second largest reservation. As the result of the visit where they visited a five bedroom house on the reservation that was home to 28 people, Cuomo helped to establish the HUD-Section 184 mortgage loan program. 

More Stories Like This

Oklahoma Legislature Overrides Governor Stitt’s Veto of Native Regalia Bill
Native Bidaské with Lummi Nation Chairman Anthony Hillaire on the Opioid Crisis
Tohono O’odham Citizen Shot and Killed by U.S. Border Patrol; FBI Investigating
Louisiana Loses a Visionary Native American Leader as Ernest Sickey Walks On at 80
First Lady Jill Biden Highlights Broadband Expansion to Alaska’s Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta

Native News is free to read.

We hope you enjoyed the story you've just read. For the past dozen years, we’ve covered the most important news stories that are usually overlooked by other media. From the protests at Standing Rock and the rise of the American Indian Movement (AIM), to the ongoing epidemic of Murdered and Missing Indigenous People (MMIP) and the past-due reckoning related to assimilation, cultural genocide and Indian Boarding Schools.

Our news is free for everyone to read, but it is not free to produce. That’s why we’re asking you to make a donation to help support our efforts. Any contribution — big or small — helps.  Most readers donate between $10 and $25 to help us cover the costs of salaries, travel and maintaining our digital platforms. If you’re in a position to do so, we ask you to consider making a recurring donation of $12 per month to join the Founder's Circle. All donations help us remain a force for change in Indian Country and tell the stories that are so often ignored, erased or overlooked.

Donate to Native News Online today and support independent Indigenous journalism. Thank you. 

About The Author
Native News Online Staff
Author: Native News Online StaffEmail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Native News Online is one of the most-read publications covering Indian Country and the news that matters to American Indians, Alaska Natives and other Indigenous people. Reach out to us at [email protected].