- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
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
Native News Weekly (August 25, 2024): D.C. BriefsUS Presidents in Their Own Words Concerning American Indians
Native News Weekly (August 4, 2024): D.C. Briefs
Native News Weekly (June 22, 2025): D.C. Briefs
Read the Text of President Trump's Address to Nation on US Bombing Iran
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher
