Thread by @rachelpolish

All Americans deserve the same opportunities, privileges, and freedoms. On a day where we celebrate #America, I’m equally torn between pride and guilt. And just returning from a @USCG deployment to land-locked #NavajoNation, I’m still grasping to find the right words...

A 🧵 1/

At the request of Navajo Nation’s government, FEMA mobilized to support the #COVID19 response on the ground. More resources were needed and agencies – including the #CoastGuard – were asked to help. And I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to answer that call. 2/

My eyes are now wide open to the fact that the basic rights and privileges extended to most American citizens are not enjoyed equally by all. And in an era where we’re working to stop an invisible enemy like COVID-19, all Americans deserve an equal chance at survival. 3/

I didn’t know that 30% - 40% of households in Navajo Nation do not have running water. Many people must drive on rugged, dirt roads to nearby water tanks or go to “border towns” to fill up cisterns or water barrels. Organizations like @DigDeepH2O are making a difference. 4/

And here’s the road to this man’s home, which was at least 50 miles from a paved road. 5/

(Cue @duranduran in the background)

I didn’t know that 10% of Navajos still don’t have electricity. There are initiatives underway to install solar panels and provide LED lighting, but there is a long way to go until everyone has power. 6/

I didn’t know that an area the approximate size of West Virginia could have few paved roads. I blew a tire in a particularly dry and rocky part of the reservation that had zero cell service. Mercifully, I was part of a caravan of vehicles delivering food and water to elders. 7/

I didn’t know that thousands of families live in one-room multi-generational homes – known as hogans - and not everyone has a warm, comfortable place to sleep at night. Many elders, who are considered the keepers of Navajo culture and language, sleep on a dirt floor. 8/

And, coming from the technology capital of the world, I didn’t know that the digital divide could be so vast in an area less than 1000 miles away. School kids often gather in parking lots of Navajo businesses to access spotty wi-fi needed to complete their homework. 9/

I will write more soon about how this experience was so rewarding and, yet, so heartrending. And how #coronavirus is far from over for people that embody the steely resolve of their ancestors, but must fight every day to save lives and preserve their culture. 10/

But today is America’s day of independence. And I now possess the knowledge that we still have work to do until ALL OF US can enjoy the same life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. 11/

#privilege #gratitude #Happy4thofJuly

And if you’ve made it this far, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your interest. Here are some cute rez dogs that made me smile. 12/end