Voices of Native Nations in the Southwest during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Protecting Community, Preserving Health

• Center for Community Health and Engaged Research • Episode 6

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In this episode, we speak with Joyce Hamilton, director of the Hopi Department of Health and Human Services and a dedicated member of the Hopi community. During the pandemic, Joyce led the Community Health Representative Program—one of the few essential services that continued frontline outreach to protect and inform the Hopi people.

This podcast shares Indigenous stories of resilience and mental wellbeing during and after COVID-19. Hear from first responders, educators, traditional knowledge holders, and recovery community members as they reflect on challenges, lessons, and culturally grounded healing. Each episode also highlights local resources for Indigenous communities in northern Arizona.

Created by NAU’s Center for Community Health and Engaged Research (CHER) with Hopi and Navajo Tribal members. Funded by Project HOPE.

We would like to acknowledge Dr. Darold Joseph for sharing his beautiful flute recordings with us. It brought a meaningful dimension to the podcast and his artistry is sincerely appreciated.

Resources: https://linktr.ee/voicesnativenations 

SPEAKER_01:

Hello and welcome to Voices of Native Nations in the Southwest during the COVID-19 pandemic. I'm Melinda Smith, and in this series, we're speaking with community members who stepped forward in unique and powerful ways during the pandemic. These conversations will highlight the lived experiences of first responders, educators, traditional knowledge holders and practitioners, and members of the recovery community from Native nations in the Southwest. Their stories offer wisdom, strength, and lessons for our communities and future generations. Today I'm honored to welcome Joyce Hamilton, the director of the Hopi Department of Health and Human Services and a member of the Hopi community. Joyce, thank you for joining us and sharing your story. Could you begin by introducing yourself and telling us about your role and your connection to your community before and during the pandemic?

SPEAKER_00:

Hello everyone. I am a member of the Hopi Tribe and have been a member of the Hopi Tribe Health Department for many years. During the pandemic, I was the manager for the Community Health Representative Program, which is a frontline community outreach program that provides outreach and various types of health promotion, disease prevention efforts for the HOPI community. And during the pandemic is when I was working for the CHR program, and our program was named an essential program during the COVID pandemic when all of the Hopi tribal government non-essential programs were released to stay at home and were given work directives to stay at home. We were one of the few programs that remained on staff to provide outreach regarding the virus that was hitting our Hopi reservation. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01:

What did you learn from the COVID-19 pandemic in your role as a community member and somebody who served your community?

SPEAKER_00:

What I learned with the pandemic was how we really needed to have a lot of communication between various agencies and that combating this disease and bringing awareness to the virus was essential for not only tribal health, but it also included a close relationship that needed to be established with the Indian Health Services. We were, in my opinion, we were seen as the outreach to bring education and awareness to the Hopi community and to bring individuals into the health care center if they felt any of the symptoms that were named to be part of the symptoms for COVID. We encouraged them to come to the health care center to get themselves tested. And as a what I learned as a community member is that, you know, in my role as a community health outreach worker, I didn't even hesitate to see the dangers that I was putting myself and my team in when we were out there in the community to provide education to our community members.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you for sharing that. It's so valuable to hear. It really sounds like the community health representatives program were boots on the ground and really bridge between departments and sectors. Is that right?

SPEAKER_00:

Right. We wear boots on the ground. We canvassed the entire Hopi reservation from one end to the other, and we teamed up among each others. We had all of the protective gears, which is like gowns, gloves, face shields, and we were out in the community doing assessments of each home as to how many lived in the home and provided them with information about the virus. So we were definitely boots on the ground, knocking from home every home that we could find throughout the reservation. We canvassed from one end of the village to the other, and it gave me an opportunity to really interact with the community regarding what was happening nationwide.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, that kind of coordination takes a lot of skill and insight. It's uh clear how deeply you understand the role of community health representatives and how they play a critical role in making that happen, connecting the community with needed resources. Thank you. What sustained you during the pandemic in this role?

SPEAKER_00:

I feel what sustained me in having the energy to do what we did is just the understanding of my role as a community health representative program manager. It was my duty to motivate, encourage, and as best as I could to encourage my team to not be fearful of the virus, that we had all of the protective gear to protect us from the virus. And we made sure that we huddled often enough to ask questions and ask Indian Health Services questions as well as to what new trends or new information we needed to take out into the community. And I believe that what also was a good motivator was to have a team of young staff, not just young, but all staff within the CHR program who were just as eager to provide this outreach in the community. Great.

SPEAKER_01:

You mentioned that you really understanding your role helped sustain you and made you feel safe. And that communication was key. Can you share more about what that looked like in practice?

SPEAKER_00:

Well, we would get to the office every day and we always had a game plan, and we all had our clipboards out and knowing that okay, this is the village. We always had planning meetings as to what our goal was for each of the community canvas outreach efforts that we did, and we knocked on every door, providing the same information. Not only did we provide information, we were also able to develop educational material to leave behind at the homes in case they had questions. And we also provided some incentives such as magnets that we created with our community members on how to protect yourself against the virus. And I believe that, you know, getting these types of infographics, magnets, flyers created, you know, with our own touch and support with Indian Health Services information, we were able to provide that and leave that behind. So today you still see a lot of the hand washing magnets in various homes and work agencies, and even some of the posters that we created are still out in the community. And when I see them, I always think, wow, you know, this was our program, this was us. So we, you know, really used a lot of creative messaging to educate the community and what's a plus about the community health representatives being in the village is that we speak the language and we're able to talk to community members in our own language regarding what was going on.

SPEAKER_01:

Can you talk more about how those infographics and educational materials were developed and what impact they had on your community?

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, we looked to the CDC as our guide, as well as the Indian Health Services as our guide for the education. We wanted to make sure that the education we were providing was credible to the HOPI community. And so we also would run some of our information by both agencies because we did have a team out here from the Centers for Disease Control who was able to provide support to us early on in the pandemic. So once the CDC staff went back to their own work agencies, we did have a publicist that was still assigned to HOPI that we would provide our information to so that they could review what we were creating to make sure that the information was factual and written in layman's terms so that people could understand what was being written.

SPEAKER_01:

That is so powerful. Having community-specific information and tailored information that really makes a difference, especially during something as overwhelming as uh COVID-19 pandemic. What were your sources of strength and or hope during this time?

SPEAKER_00:

I feel that the sources of strength really came within the CHR program. They were very willing to be fluid in how we needed to move day to day, week to week, month to month. And they were not ashamed or shy to provide even video clips through Facebook messaging. You know, we used social media to also put messages out there, and we were creative in how we were providing those messages. We had um Hopi speaker provide information about COVID. We also have Tewa speaking tribal members living on Hopi, and we were able to bring one of our CHRs to provide that message in the Tewa language. So we were creative in how we provided that messaging. And I believe that that was the strength I have is that none of the CHRs backed down to say, I can't do this. I feel that, you know, they were just as motivated to be out there to provide that education and support to Indian Health Services throughout the entire duration of the pandemic while the executive order was in place here on the Hope Reservation.

SPEAKER_01:

That's such an important point, just having that regular support from different sectors and programs. It sounds like it really helped sustain the work that you did, as well as the, you know, of course, the passion and connection that you have, that drive to provide services to the community. Can you share a moment or memory from that time that really stands out to you?

SPEAKER_00:

I feel that a time that really stuck out to me was when I was personally impacted by the virus. My sister, who is not much younger than me, had her spouse was impacted with COVID. And I always remember that, you know, when my brother-in-law passed, it was a very difficult time because at that time, you know, with fear knows, you're gonna have a whole gathering of people. And I felt so bad that my sister wasn't allowed that time to really interact with her husband who was laying on his deathbed for a few days, to just really support him through that. And that's a time that really is memorable to me because I sometimes think back on that time where not even my mom could be there when we laid him to rest, you know, and just knowing that, you know, the way we were burying our tribal members is something that was so new and so different because, you know, based on media or information from our public health sectors indicating that there had to be a certain way to bury these individuals. And because, you know, I guess there maybe was fear that, you know, when someone was late to risk, that there might be elements that come through seeping through the grave. I don't know, but I just wish that we didn't have to go that direction. But I feel that that was something that, you know, I remember clearly is that there was a different way of burying individuals that had succumbed to the virus. And for me, that was a really sad way of laying our community members to rest when they did pass from the COVID virus. And to this day, you know, it still bothers me that, you know, I wasn't there to help my sister or be that support to her when she was going through that time when she lost her husband.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you for sharing something so personal. It was an incredibly difficult time navigating your own illness and trying to keep safe, trying to keep your employees safe while also coping with uh loss of relatives and community members. It really highlights the deep emotional weight that frontline workers like community health representatives and their families had to carry. So thank you for your work. How did your experience during the pandemic impact you personally, professionally, and within your community?

SPEAKER_00:

Personally, it was it wasn't a virus that I personally feared for myself. I felt like I was just ready to do what I could to support the community members. And when I got hit with the virus, you know, I always remember the isolation times, and those were really hard and lonely times that, you know, it was such a fearful time in its own way that when there was COVID in your home, you know, we had to behave differently inside our own homes. And that's something that I will remember for a long time. Professionally, I feel that we did the best we could to canvas, you know, from one end of the reservation to the other, which I feel is a proud moment for me with my teen that we were able to do this and also provide personal protective equipment to households during this time. And we did support the community members with PPEs. And I believe that the community can see us as one of the few programs that was out there providing this type of support to family members. And when there was a family member that got COVID, you know, I know we had a relationship with Indian Health Services that when an individual was COVID positive, they would call on the CHRs to provide a COVID kit to that family unit. And, you know, I feel that that was a proud moment for all of us to be able to be seen as support to Indian Health Services and to the community.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, it again, it's really touching to hear that even though you are personally putting yourself at risk, your greater concern was always the health and safety of your community. And that kind of selflessness really shows just how deeply you care and how committed you are to supporting others. Could you share a little bit more about how you and your team managed to successfully provide essentials and reliable support to the community during this time and maybe some of the key factors that helped make that possible?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, we had support through Indian Health Services. They had a warehouse that supplied PPE supplies to the tribes. And so we would utilize that IHS warehouse to request for supplies. And when the supplies came in, we would then DVD up and we would get right back out into the community. And I feel that, you know, that was one of the ways that we were able to support the community with hand sanitizers, clorics wipes, face masks, face shields, and again, more education. If we came up with education, then we had we put that in the boxes to deliver to the homes that we provided services to. And also, you know, the funding that we utilized to purchase PPE supplies was through our own community health representative funding. We were awarded additional dollars to address and to mitigate the COVID within our reservation. So, because of the additional dollars, we were able to hire some community members to support us in our outreach into the community. So we hired people that were interested in supporting us in our outreach throughout the community. And it was through our fund sources that we were able to hire additional staff to help us within the community outreach efforts. Great, thank you.

SPEAKER_01:

What do you hope others, especially younger generations, take away from your experience?

SPEAKER_00:

I hope that the younger generation can remember us as boots in the ground outreach workers to see that, you know what, I've never experienced a pandemic, but I always remember that, you know, CHRs were out there, they were educating, they were providing social media outreach, they were providing various brochures, we were going into work sites, and that we shown that public health is vital to our community and how we do it and how we can be part of that team in the future, maybe not if not through a nursing degree, but through public health. You know, it would be nice for our younger generation to see that that kind of work is doable and it really helps to make impacts within our Hopi community. Great, thank you.

SPEAKER_01:

Final question is what message would you share with someone preparing to serve their community in times of crisis?

SPEAKER_00:

I would make sure that we called on all service agencies that can make an impact to this type of someday, you know, not someday, but you know, if we were ever had to go and deal with an issue such as the 2020 pandemic, I would make sure that we had a list of every service agency that is available and to determine what their scope of work would be to support this mission and to have ongoing meetings week to week so that we can update one another and we can support one another. I feel that that was an important part of us being successful in mitigating what we were dealing with back from year 2020 to about 2024, 23, is really just trying to be communicative with everybody that you know would want it to be supportive. I believe that we had others that were not necessarily boots on the ground, but we had administrators that were handling the COVID cases and you know, keeping track of the surveillance data. And that was an epidemiologist that came to the Hopi tribe from the Centers for Disease Control. And I believe that in order to paint a true picture of what we're dealing with, we do need that type of professional, those types of professionals, such as epidemiologists, that could help us understand what we're dealing with and to share the magnitude of what how the virus is impacting our community. We need that kind of data to support our efforts and to bring awareness to our community so that people don't take these types of pandemics lightly, that they see that you know there's something really going on. And I would like to see us strengthen and learn from what we came from the pandemic world. And just we've never had a full debriefing once the executive orders were lifted, but it would have been nice to see, you know, what were lessons learned and how can we move toward the future if there was a need to have to come together to combat a virus, a deadly virus, if you will, and that we know how to do it now because we've been there. There's going to be lived experiences that I'm sure people that maybe no longer are part of our department will say, you know what, I want to be part of that team that you know provides that support to the community regarding what we're dealing with today. So I really feel that people would step up because they knew how important the manpower needs were. So I know that individuals would be willing to support the efforts within each of the communities. It's a lot of coordination that needs to happen, and we need to do a lot of communication amongst all agencies that are going to play a role in what we're dealing with.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, calling on all service programs and agencies to come together with a clear plan for a collaboration, and communication is really key to effectively serving a community. One little follow-up question. How did those collaborations usually come together in your experience during that time?

SPEAKER_00:

The collaborations came through support from our leadership, which is the Department of Health and Human Services director at the time, having conversations with our tribal chairman, our tribal vice chairman, and them coordinating with Indian Health Services. You know, they were pretty much the leaders in pulling everybody together and to developing guide booklets. You know, it wasn't developed by the CHRs, but like return to work guidelines were established, and that came from the leadership team of how we're going to slowly return to work as the COVID numbers started to decline. So I feel that, you know, it was our leadership. We knew what we needed to do as far as outreach and education, but the deeper stuff, the important stuff, such as surveillance data, connecting all partners, it was through the efforts of our leadership at the Hopi tribe and IHS working together to show that we were all collaborating to provide education because you know we all serve the same community and we needed to support one another through that time. So the CHRs also were instrumental in helping with the COVID testing that was happening on a daily basis with Indian Health Services. So they would come to work and suit up and get out there. And so the takeaway message is that we all need one another regardless of what service agencies you represent. These viruses don't discriminate against the agency you're working for, you know, and we have to put those, bring those walls down and support one another so that we have a lot of individuals that are working together to get this message out and to mitigate a virus such as the COVID virus. Great.

SPEAKER_01:

Thanks so much for sharing your experiences and insights, Choice, and for all the incredible work you and your team did as frontline workers. It's truly inspiring to hear how dedication, collaboration, and community-centered approaches made such a meaningful impact. This is Voices of Native Nations in the Southwest during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we're honored to share these conversations with you. You can listen to more episodes on Bus Route. Thank you for joining us for Voices of Native Nations in the Southwest during the COVID-19 pandemic podcast series. This podcast was developed by the Center for Community Health and Engaged Research at Northern Arizona University with support from Project Hope, a global health and humanitarian organization transforming the health and well-being of communities around the world. For more information and links to resources related to this series, please check the podcast description. Thanks again for listening, and we hope you'll continue to learn from and share these powerful stories!