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

Teaching through Uncertainty

• Center for Community Health and Engaged Research • Episode 3

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In this heartfelt episode, Tiffany Tracy, an educator from the Navajo Nation reflects on the profound lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, from the challenges of remote teaching to the importance of communication. She shares how the crisis reshaped her understanding of learning, community support, and the emotional toll of isolation and loss. Despite overwhelming stress and limited resources, her dedication to her students and their families sustained her through the toughest moments. 

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 the 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 have 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 from our communities and future generations. Today I'm honored to welcome Tiffany Tracy, an educator from Navajo Nation. Tiffany, 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_02:

Yeah, good morning. Hi. Grew up born and raised in Fort Defiance, and I live here in Canada, where I teach seventh grade social studies. However, during the pandemic, I wasn't teaching middle school. I was at the primary school.

SPEAKER_01:

Great, thank you. What did you learn from the pandemic in your role as an educator in your community?

SPEAKER_02:

Well, what did I learn from the pandemic as an educator in my community? I learned that we did need to learn how to utilize technology a lot more and tighten up our communication skills. Because that was definitely an eye-opener. Because you know, we use Zoom, we use uh different programs that, in my opinion, aren't super difficult to navigate. But there were people that had trouble accessing it and navigating it, um, understanding it, and really using it as a tool. And this is more so from the educator side, um, other educators that I worked with. So that also opened my eyes, you know, because we get night, we have just these assumptions, basic assumptions about people, like, oh, this is easy, they'll get it. And then there's some difficulty there acquiring the know-how to get things rolling. And I'm like, huh, what's going on here? So definitely in reflection, it did change my understanding of how people learn and do things too, especially in a time when there's uh panic and trauma happening, also, because think back on it, you know, that that really was a trauma traumatic event. Like even that time when I was in that place, like putting myself back in though that position is a little weird. Because I didn't realize how much panic there was until now. Now that I think back on it, I knew it was difficult at the time, but now really thinking back on it and on all the events that are happening globally, I'm like, wow, that did change some brains, definitely.

SPEAKER_01:

That's very insightful. Thank you.

SPEAKER_02:

So I don't know if I got to to the point, but uh, what did we learn? I learned that I shouldn't assume when it comes to people's understandings, people's knowledge and skill sets, and help each other. We definitely need a community. Wow because it's it's showing itself a lot more lately. How much community is needed and has to be already established. Yeah, definitely community is really what I'm learning from then and even now. Can't really wait for the government, the Nineho Nation, especially, particularly. Uh can't wait for our local travel governments to do something because there's just naturally that red tape there that's gonna hold things back. And I'm I'm comparing the pandemic to like our most recent event, which was the fire that happened down Oak Ridge. So it's right here in our community um between Winderock and Gunada. So it did affect a lot of the students that come here to Gunada Unified School District. And this one just happened in really quickly, very much like COVID. So me with my how many years has it been? Four years, my brain after four years of going through these different stressors, looking back on this event of the pandemic and then seeing the event of this fire that happened within our community, I I'm I'm making comparisons and I'm drawing my conclusions from that.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, the community support and just um family, friends is so important, especially with how strained the government was there for sure.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, definitely during that time, and then it just feels like it's been a slow decoin. Like we've just been that was our pinnacle, and then we're rolling into the abyss since then.

SPEAKER_01:

I'm glad you're staying safe. Um, that fire, yeah. I've been keeping up to date on that fire off and on. So I'm glad that you're okay and the community is coming together. So the next question is what sustained you during the pandemic in this role as an educator?

SPEAKER_02:

Um during the pandemic, what sustained me was knowing that, well, was that I had to be in it to continue for my students. So when we did go into lockdown, my first thought was, okay, um, do all my kids and their families have enough supplies. So even though we're trying to get through the last quarter of school, because we were going into the fourth quarter and trying to take care of these things, I was doing whatever I could to try to reach some of the families that were in my students' um bubble and get them as many supplies as possible because I knew I had privilege. I mean, I knew I had a little bit more disposable income than some. So I would go out, purchase things, and then make deliveries to my students' families. The ones that I could get a hold of and who I knew lived out for. So the ones that I could get a hold of, I was making deliveries too, and that wasn't everyone. I wish I could have gotten to everyone, but that's where I was like, oh shoot, we need a better communication system, just as educators. And that definitely made its way, I mean, it should make its way like all across K-12. I started to notice more of an importance once I got into the middle school that parents and teachers do need to be communicating more, or we need to find a better avenue where there is communication for local announcements or teacher announcements that can reach all parents and grandparents who were involved. It was difficult reaching out and just finding, figuring out if students were okay, if families were alright. So I guess that worry of um my students and their families and making sure that they're okay kept me going to that end of that fourth quarter. It did um affect me dramatically. I think it was just that worrying of my students, um, losing elders was really tough. I lost two of my uncles to COVID and countless other extended family members that were older. I think that was really tough. What sustained me was my home and my family. Just making sure I could control what I have here. I know I was still going through a lot. I was anxious, I was stressed, but I just tried to make sure that my environment was as comfortable as could be. My child was happy, even though I know I was like, wash my hands, don't touch anything. Yeah, so my can my students, my family, and my home was really what sustained me, was what kept me going. I really wish there were, like I said, running, more running and more prayer involved, but I didn't get to that until I had another big life event in the future. But yeah, making a home for myself, like really establishing it, having fun with my little one.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you for sharing that. So yeah, it sounds like your home, your family, being outdoors all really helped ground you during that time and that those those personal spaces gave you the strength to keep going. Is it does that sound right?

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, definitely. Yeah, I I think about this a lot now, especially. It's just that um there's a lot of things out in the world that I can't control, and I should focus on the things that I can, which is my immediate space. And I'm doing that as much as I can with my classroom. Like, okay, well, I can't I can't control anything that happens outside. I can't control anything within the students' lives, I can't control parents, I can't control community involvement, but I can control what I do. I can be create a space for my students to come in and feel safe in. I can create a curriculum that's going to help them be critical thinkers.

SPEAKER_01:

So, how's that transition for you going from remote learning back into the classroom, especially uh after everything you and your students and your community um what you were going through?

SPEAKER_02:

Well, I was the last, one of the last teachers to do remote learning because when we did physically go back in the classroom as teachers, and the district was wanting to have like hybrid school where they come to school um for half and then other half's online, they didn't like that idea, so they had an A B schedule. A certain group of students attend school on the A days, which is like Monday, Wednesday, and then B students attend school on Tuesday, Thursday, and then we just have online on Friday. That was an idea. No teacher wanted to do exclusive online, and there was weird events that happened, the school budget that the school was wanting to eliminate a teacher from the second grade, which I was teaching at the time. And so when I spoke with my principal, um, she was saying, Well, no one's volunteered to do this, and we do need to re we can't have four second grade teachers. Will you do this? And since there was no really like no other option, I'm like, Oh, I guess. I mean, it's not like I have very much of a choice here. Um, I was the kindergarten first and second grade teacher for online before the school year, and that that drained all the life out of me. I couldn't handle that that load, not online. So I I ended every day crying. I was just so stressed. I did not like my job, I did not like it at all. I really, really considered just leaving the school district because that year was the worst year of my teaching career. Um, not so much because of the students, obviously, it was never the students. It was the lack of assistance that I received, the parents covering the whole lesson and just interrupting and pointing things out, but also not getting assignments done and not knowing how to address those issues. It was just questioning questioning everything I did from all different angles. It was so difficult. And then having one class right after the other online, it was very, very draining. I was looking at computer screen all day. I was in one room all day. Um, it was hard to communicate with other teachers, especially teachers that were um extracurricular teachers and getting them to be online and the communication with their was very difficult when I would address the communication issues. I'd get ostracized. I don't know, it was it was so tough. So by the end of that year, when I was looking at email, there was an announcement of um in-district um transfers. Is if anyone's wanting to move around to a different position, you are encouraged to do so. And I saw a middle school position open and I jumped on that. Someone, I don't know, this is just this place is I don't want to do online again. I feel like they're gonna push me in online again if that were to be the case, they're gonna say, well, she already knows how to do it. Yeah, it was. So I left. Best decision ever though, because I middle school students, they they are so fun. They are so fun to be around. They're goofy, they're silly, they're so smart. I just love the middle school. I'm really glad that I did that.

SPEAKER_01:

Thanks for sharing that. That does sound like it was incredibly challenging and trying to teach in such a new and invulnerable environment with parents listening and the interruptions. Yeah, I can only imagine how that would feel like a loss of safe, focused space that you're usually have with students in the classroom, and then going from that to you know somebody's living room. So it really highlights just how much more teachers were carrying beyond just the academics to think for them.

SPEAKER_02:

And that year too, we were still required to give tests, the same assessments that everyone else was taking. So we had to I had to schedule testing time and then the internet connections, then pushing mute, not pushing mute, walking away, coming back, and then parents and grandparents reading the questions to them, and then having to remind the parents like this, we were not supposed to be explaining things, and then them getting upset and mad about it, and then reporting it to the principal, reporting it to superintendent, like they didn't want to address me about some issues. Well, some parents did um very directly. Other parents, most of the time, they just went and told the principal or told the superintendent because that's their family member. I'm like, Well, I'm not exactly sure how we're supposed to do this. I'm just telling them what we're supposed to be doing for this test. Ugh, it was it was just a lot of back and forth, being the middleman, feeling powerless, feeling trapped, it was difficult.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, it's um it's definitely a different teaching and learning style online. Um so the next question is what were your sources of strength and hope during that time?

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, my sources of strength and hope definitely my child, my little one. Um, coming home. I really was glad that I did spend that time during COVID making my home cosier, more representative of my myself and my child's personalities. Because once I left that building during that period and coming home, I was able to just release and not have to worry about it, at least for those few hours that I was here. That definitely helped. So just the stress of being within the school building and then the relief of coming home and being in this space. That was definitely very, very helpful during that time. Um, so once it settled down, I was going out to visit my sister in Santa Fe, just going to her house, not really going anywhere else, and then going back home. So that was nice. So yeah, family was really what sustained me, and family is what really gave me that strength and hope. And I did have those, like, I know I've been talking about how bad it was with um online teaching, but I did have some really amazing students with um really amazing families that would really like give me really uplifting words or just telling me thank you and appreciating my being there and helping them because I did do a lot of help too. It wasn't just like the parents that were disgruntled, but there were parents that wanted to know and asked for advice and they worked with me. Those parents were also the ones that really did give me strength and help too. Like I can't not give them credit because they really pulled me through just how wonderful they were to work with. They would point out things that I would forget, but in a gentle way. So I'm like, oh, okay, thank you. Because I I feel like I am that kind of person where if you point something out right away and I can immediately fix it, I'm like, oh okay, I'm sorry about that, thank you. But if it's something that's just all the time, and I can't really do a whole lot about it, ever to explain, I can't do anything, it just is difficult. And then I think about that too. Like, am I doing this to my students? So I try to be very reflective in that the things that I don't like. Well, I don't like this. Am I doing this to my students also? Maybe I should approach addressing mishaps in a different way. So a lot of learning, a lot of rethinking, trying to restructure things and how I do stuff in the classroom based on experience. It was those families that were very helpful, very cooperative, then my own family. So, yeah, I guess family that having that connection with the community members that were wanting to be connected, and then my family members, my sister, my mom, my daughter.

SPEAKER_01:

That's really beautiful. Thank you. Kind of sounds like your um your family, your daughter were a big source of uh strength and uh reminder of what really matters. And it sounds like uh there was a lot of maybe fun memories um that you spent um decorating your home and making it your personalities?

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, and still going through another phase too, all these different little so many life events within the last four years for me.

SPEAKER_01:

So this is a perfect segue into our the next question. Can you share a moment or memory from that time that stands out to you? And it's related to sources of strength or hope.

SPEAKER_02:

I guess something that really helps or stands out is getting from me a big smart board. Having a really nice smartboard was was really good, was a good memory that stands out. But also my little one, I just remembered she graduated or got promoted from kindergarten that year. That was really cute. You know, the little friends have little graduation at the Hogan, the traditional Navajo home that we have on campus. Oh, I also graduated with my masters during that time. That was also really nice. So my little one, she got promoted from kindergarten. I graduated with my masters, and that class just before my COVID crew, that school, that group, which was my group of seventh graders' last school year, not this past one, that's when I really started to learn. I really take in the theories of teaching, of being like in a community and building a community, a culture of community. That group really helped me step forward in understanding that and rethink what I was doing in my teaching career. And with the one group when I was really into my master's studies, writing down my reflections, writing down questions and questioning my teaching strategies and how I am in the classroom, that really did change. And so the group that came in that we only had half the year with, I was doing really well with them, and then we didn't come back, and I felt really upset because I was losing that momentum. And then I had that trash year, and then going to the middle school, I feel like I picked right up with those kids that I that left me because I got them again. All my second graders that I had first second when I got to the middle school, my second grade group was in eighth grade, so I just missed them. First set of students that I worked with here at the district. And so that following year, I got all my my students again from second grade, and that was like the easiest transition because I already knew these students, I already had a rapport with them. And even the ones that weren't in my class, I knew their names. It was so simplified for me to just come in, know who they are, remember who their parents are, remember where I left off with them, and then seeing where the deficit was, and like, oh my gosh, I should have focused more on this in second grade. So I guess my education and seeing my daughter, getting to learn with her as a baby, getting my masters, then having that jump from that crew that I was feeling different in my teaching strategies, and then having them again, and then giving the opportunity, like, okay, well, let's prove what you learn. I didn't think of it that way until now, now that you're asking me these questions. So, yeah, I guess feeling like I get a second chance with the students. This group right now that I just had, they're the ones who I only went half the year with. And man, these students, these seventh, seventh graders are in eighth grade now. This was the most fun year that I've had in my whole teaching career. I'm gonna say that it's I know I was teacher lead this year. I had those students, they have all the weird brain wrought language, and I leveraged that, and it's just been like this year has been the best school year by far in my whole 10 years at Ganado Unified School District. I guess I wouldn't have gone to this moment without all those struggles and reflections and really being in it for them because these are the kids that I didn't worry about during that COVID year and knowing they're all okay. There are students with problems, but I try to be there for them the most and ask them if they need hugs and provide them with as much space as I can to show that I do care for them. I really do love these students. Because I went to one of their ceremonies this this past summer and I was like, you guys don't you don't know how much I really love you all because I see you all like my own kids. I'm sorry if I don't show that because I need to know. I need to more. I need to show them that I really am excited to see them. Like I hold back a lot because I don't know if that's appropriate that I need to show them more.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you for sharing. That it really show um shows that you care and you show up for your students, and that's gonna make a huge difference to them as in their lives as they move forward. How did your experience during the pandemic as an educator impact you personally, professionally, or within your community?

SPEAKER_02:

Well, personally, it impacted me in the way that I I look to my family and my connections to be very important. And making connections, meaningful connections is what's really gonna help me out in all aspects. Um professionally, it pushed me to go to the middle school, and that's where I really feel like I've I've released my spores. I'm I'm I'm there and I love it, and it's the place that I want to be and continue to be for as long as I can be. As far as my community, I'm getting into that right now. I did assist during pandemic in terms of my own class, my 21, 22 students and their families. But now I have all these students. Um our enrollment's been pretty low, so we've been having like 80 to 90 students within a grade level, within the seventh grade, which is not a lot compared to other school districts, but it is way more than what I was used to at primary scale where we had 20 to 22 students all day long. Now I have 89 to 100 students every day that I see. So that's definitely a lot more family members that I gotta reach out to. And I do my best to reach out to them, either through newsletter, through email, text message. But I do try to get to that. Now within this past year, I have been organizing my seventh-grade teachers to clean up around the community because more and more we hear it in these theories that how strong your community is is gonna definitely show in your students' academic, spiritual, mental. So I've been thinking a lot about that this summer. How do I get more involved in my community? Those are my those are my kids. Those are my kids as family members, and even if they're not my students yet, they will be my students. Like, how do I how do I be there? So I volunteered to watch animals, I went on supply runs for the fire relief, but now I'm at the part point where I'm like, well, where what can I do to at least be involved in my community? Um, just based on observation, a lot of the teachers that are not from Gana, they're from other communities or out of state, and then I don't see them in the community other than the store. So I've been living here for 10 years now. I know these children here. Every time I go to the store, I do see a student that I recognize. I did see that the fire affected a lot of our community members. I need to be here more. If I definitely am going to gain the confidence and the respect and the willingness to cooperate, I need to make myself more present in the community. That exposes me a lot, like I am gonna have eyes on me. That's what we do in a community, right? Whether or not someone has something nice to say, we just gotta show their actions that we're trying to do the best that we can. So I I'm at that now. And it's making me think of more and more how can I be present in this community in a way that sparks more community action and that we can work together, not just like try to be that person outside or coming in and be like, oh, I'm doing this. But us, how do we get us to work together? So I'm in those working pages. I did make one small step and write down the chapter meetings, like our community meetings that we have. Because I've never been to a chapter meeting here in Ganado. I've been to ones in Fort Defiance where my former community was, and that's where I got to this summer. Also, I'm like, well, I should probably change my voting station to Ganado so that way you can just go right there, attending meetings, because with the outdoors too, all the running that I've been doing and bicycling, I am seeing that trails and outdoors um activities does bring a community together, does help with mental clarity, does help with reflection because you're basically by yourself on the trail. It does help with bringing people together and overcoming or maybe like working, not overcoming, but working through grief. And there is a lot of grief. There is a lot of grief and trauma in the thing. And what physical activity is doing for me or has done for me, I want to share that with the community. So, how do I get that? I have friends that make trails. We barely have any trails here. If you want trails or things that are going to benefit the community, then I need to be there and suggest that in the planning process. So, yeah, that's my next step is attending chapter meetings and trying to get things started for the community as a whole in terms of physicality. But also, if those trails are built, maybe we could have school programs where we could utilize those trails too. Like a running club, not so much a running team or a cycling club that we could ride those trails with or a hiking club, something where I have the school doing something for their community also. So I'm I'm trying to piece these things together as best as I can, but at baby steps.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you. So we have two more questions left. What do you hope others, especially younger generations, take away from your experience?

SPEAKER_02:

For younger ones, I didn't talk a lot about prayer during um this interview because it really because I I guess my mentality was starting at COVID, just during those COVID years. But it wasn't until after the COVID year when my mom passed away that I really did start to pray. I was doing a whole lot more. Praying for myself, praying for the family, praying for my students especially, because I started to notice after I lost my mom, I noticed how many other students had lost their parents too. And it sucks that it took that event for me to have a need to open my eyes to the other students and know, not know, but have an idea of what they're going through. Because I'm an adult and I'm having a hard time. My parents lost. And these students are 10 and they've lost their parent, and in some cases, parents, and we still expect them to come to school and work through all that. That sucks. So for me, losing one parent and then again another, taking the time to pray really helped. And this is traditionally using my traditional ways of praying. Praying, being outside and running, that really, really helped because even like in 2023, the year my mom passed away too, my daughter might, my daughter's dad, my split. And that was also really hard. That was like the beginning of my my tumble down the mountain, and then losing my mom, and then my little one not being here all the time because she's with her dad sometimes, it just left me to be alone a lot.

unknown:

So, with these difficult things happening in my adult life, I would tell students, and I would be very, very sincere. They they know now, and I'm very serious, that prayer does help, talking to friends does help, running does help for any kind of physical activity.

SPEAKER_02:

Being outside helps, and that's why like we've gotta have these things for these students' programs to go outside into nature before it all burns up, too.

unknown:

And maybe if they see like how beautiful outside is and that we use the outside items to pray with, they finally fight for it a little bit more too. Because this tough sink, these come. Come into the reservation and take up uranium and gases and oils.

SPEAKER_02:

And then you see these places burn me too. Like even though the Grand Canyon's on fire. I just took my daughter there and she was amazed at how big it was. Just took the seventh grade there, this field trip, and they were like, Holy, that looks like AI. Like how unreal these places are and how beautiful they are. Because I've made those connections you know there. It's always made me feel better. Like I'm not alone because all of the surrounds us were so small. And just the things that helped me, I want those available for them because I didn't get this as a child. We didn't travel. We were too, we didn't have money to travel. Like a lot of the a lot of the kids here. And so I I do want to open up opportunities for them to have these events. Because even the one student we took on the field trip, his parents told us he's never been away from wide ruins from this community from Ganada Wide Ruins. Like, what? Yeah, he always stays home. He's never been out. So when we took them to a restaurant, too, he he didn't know how to order. Even just for that one student seeing the Grand Canyon and the squirrels that were coming right up to them asking for food. Like that was all so brand new to him. I guess as adults we forget that there are families, students that are like that haven't seen or been open to all these different experiences. And that it's us, our jobs to make it open to them and share what's helped us, like what you're doing now, taking all these experiences, compiling them and sharing with the next generation how to cope, how to handle times of stress and trauma. Yeah, that prayer breading and having a community, having connections really helps.

SPEAKER_01:

So your hope for others, especially youth, is to that they stay connected to their cultural traditions or prayer, wherever, however that looks to them. Time in nature, and also to seek out healthy new experiences outdoors as a way to stay well and grounded, is that right? Yes, yes. So the final question is what message would you share with someone preparing to serve their community in times of crisis?

SPEAKER_02:

Um I would say do your best to be aware of your own personal biases and don't make assumptions. Be open to everything that's happening, even when it comes to ways families look. Some people see people, other folks that don't have a whole lot, just consider them as selfish or something. I don't know. I just definitely let's see, how would I phrase this? Um there is there is an idea of how people are that are from a more rural area and don't have a whole lot of financial stability. It's very not super prominent, but it makes its way out from under the covers. People will use terms, a specific term, I don't want to say it, um, about other Navajo people that are poorer and a little more uneducated. But just because folks are like that doesn't mean they're less deserving of assistance, or basically I'm all defensive. But that's because that is what a strategy to keep your sanity intact, just in defense with everything is a defense mechanism, anger, people pushing people away, addictions.

unknown:

I think we just need to start being more empathetic. I guess um our teaching is is is is that uh crystal.

SPEAKER_02:

So that's been thinning how we have this object that can refract sunlight into beautiful rainbow. Uh in our stories, it was like the first spire, one of the first fires that led others to it, another person to it. So it was sparked community, but within this object that rainbows can emit from is multifaceted. It's not just one object that we can look through and know it. It's got all these different planes about it. So there are different ways of viewing that rainbow and refracting that light. And I guess that's just people, right? We have so many different dimensions to a person. Not everything that we see is going to be that one part. So that's that's what I'm trying to approach to my community or to others, to my students, to the schools. So as teachers or people coming into an educational setting or working with community, don't give up and just try from a different angle. Just keep going because our people are worth going through the struggle for.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you, that's beautiful. So that was the final question. Thank you, Tiffany, for your time and reflection. Your story contributes to a broader understanding of how native communities responded with resilience, care, and cultural strength during a time of great uncertainty. 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 BuzzSprout. 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.