Mutual Aid
We are an autonomous indigenous collective that is deeply rooted in the principles of ancestral mutual aid. The concept of mutual aid—collective care and support—is certainly not a new notion to our people. In the spirit of our ancestors, we continuously organize in ways that ensure the health and well-being of Nihi K’é (all our relations) through a framework that respects non-hierarchy and is firmly based on our Diné cultural knowledge systems. The philosophy of mutual aid has always been woven into our culture, continuously reminding us to take care of and look out for the health and well being of one another and the land that sustains us and the non-human beings that we share the land with. This important value is embedded in our songs, prayers, and stories, echoing through generations. Historically, our ancestors cared for each other during periods when various sicknesses and challenges emerged, including those brought by settlers long before the onset of COVID-19. Today, we walk in their moccasins, honoring their legacy as we step up to love, nurture, pray for, and protect our people and land in the present moment. It is fundamentally about how we care for the land and the life that thrives upon it, as well as the ways we support one another with K'é—love, kindness, food, shelter, and prayer. It embodies a sense of respect and responsibility that we carry forward.
Over the years, we have traveled, supported, and cooked for various events, collaborating for the well-being of Indigenous communities and the defense of sacred land and water. From the Nihigaal bee lina walk and the Love Water Not Oil Horse Ride on the White Earth Reservation to the Salmon Run in Winnemem Wintu territory, each experience has deepened our connection. We participated in events with Pii Paash relatives, various Indigenous resistance camps, and actions such as the Unist'ot'ten Camp, Protect Oak Flat movement, Standing Rock Resistance, Lalu Island stand against LNG Pipeline..ect. We have also supported elders in Black Mesa and visited and support Zapatista comrades in Chiapas, engaging in battles against fracking, uranium, and coal mining in Diné and Ute territory in Utah. Our work often places us on the front lines against land desecration, government repression, and resource colonization. We unite our unique skills and perspectives as Diné and Indigenous peoples, fostering solidarity, mutual aid, accountability, and kinship amongst our diverse communities and nations.
Our mutual aid collective has been on the ground during the start of Covid19, doing mutual aid relief on our homeland Diné Bikéyah (Four Corners Region). Through out this time our collective delivered care packages filled with food, water, Personal Protection Equipment , cleaning supplies, menstrual products, hygiene, herbal remedies and firewood (for heat & cooking) out to over 7,000 households in the reservation that are elders, immunocompromised folxs, families with no income, and unsheltered relatives in the streets ; in addition, we have also provided water barrels for households with no running water, and livestock feed (Hay & grain) for elders and families in need who have cattle, sheep, chickens and horses.
In the past two years, we have dedicated our efforts to establishing a thriving community kitchen aimed at fostering mutual aid organizing within our homeland. Our ongoing initiatives encompass a range of activities, including gathering and hauling firewood to support elders and disabled individuals, distributing vital sexual health supplies, providing essential kitchen support for various ceremonies, hauling water tanks to local farmers in need, and assisting unsheltered individuals by offering food, clothing, and other essential items for their daily lives. Additionally, we actively organize mutual aid with the land, with a strong focus on restoration initiatives and land-based education aimed at promoting sustainability and community involvement.
Please join us, walk with us, support truly decolonial work in the true spirit of solidarity & ceremony.
''We are nothing if we walk alone; we are everything when we walk together in step with other dignified feet'' - EZLN
