Country X

Welcome to Country X. 

Country X is roughly the size of Ireland. It has roughly the same population as Curacao. It has exactly the same life expectancy as Moldova. It has a rich culture that unfortunately suffered greatly due to systemic racism and historical oppression. Despite its close geographic proximity to multiple First World nations, Country X is not seen as a tourist destination as nearly 43% of the population live below the poverty line. Sadly, most tourists see signs for Country X and don't even give a second thought to visiting. Those in the neighboring countries don't even learn the history of Country X. It has entered a vortex where the outside world seems a world away. It is because of this we hardly, if ever, hear about Country X and its inner workings.

Unless Country X does something remarkable like beat the pandemic. 

Earlier this week, shoved in the footnotes of a nightly newscast, was the phenomenal news that Country X currently boasts a staggering 91% vaccination rate among its population. This is a country that is doing everything right, from enacting lockdowns early in the pandemic to educating the public on masks and social distancing to relying on the experts and science of vaccinations to now today offering a hybrid education model to provide families with the option of having their children learn at home, Country X has proven to be a rare bright spot in a world where more and more First World nations seem incapable of coming together and collectively fighting back the pandemic. Perhaps it is because Country X has suffered so much that they know the importance of staying together during times of crisis. Perhaps it's because their system of government isn't tied up in an endless bureaucracy. Perhaps it's because the people share a collective spirit of goodwill and genuinely care about their fellow human beings. Whatever the reason(s), Country X is showing its neighbors and the world that the pandemic can be overcome when people come together. 

Kudos to you, Navajo Nation.

That's right. Nestled right here in northeastern Arizona is the second-most effective vaccine distribution in the world, trailing only Gibraltar, population 33,000. In fact, Navajo Nation nearly doubles Arizona's 46% vaccination rate, despite not having anywhere near the support for the American federal government. While we here in America fought the initial lockdowns to go out for Subway and salons, Navajo Nation instituted a nationwide curfew that was only lifted last week. They instituted a nationwide mask mandate that applied to all public spaces. They also went ahead and closed their territory to tourists, vowing only to open their borders when 75% of residents on tribal land were fully vaccinated. There were no angry parents yelling obscenities at local school board meetings. Instead, there was an entire community that sacrificed individual freedom for the collective well-being of their friends and neighbors.

There's a reason the Navajo Nation success story was nothing but a blip on the 11th Hour on Monday night. Our media loves drama and Navajo Nation has gone about beating the pandemic with as little drama as possible. Good policy and sound leadership don't make national news. But they should. We should celebrate the remarkable 91% vaccination rate of one of our most famous indigenous communities just like we should have celebrated their remarkable voter turnout that helped turn Arizona blue in 2020. The resiliency of the Navajo Nation, much like the resiliency of many of our communities of color, should be admired. Despite a history of oppression through White supremacy, these groups continue to love America and they do so by taking care of themselves and their neighbors. They do it because this is their home, even though time and time again those in power have tried to forcibly remove them. While the United States as a whole is being held hostage by 30% of its population, Navajo Nation has successfully brought together 91% of its members for the greater good. It's stories like these that should lead the nightly news each and every night. 

And it's stories like these that show what's possible when people listen to each other instead of right-wing propaganda.