VOA慢速英语--印第安人保护年长的部落成员与传统

Native Americans Protect Older Tribe¹ Members, Traditions

Native American tribes² in the United States are working to protect their oldest members from the new coronavirus.

A Navajo woman, Monica Harvey, wanted to help the oldest members of her tribe get needed household goods without the risk of becoming infected with the virus. So, she started Defend Our Community, a group that sends supplies to older tribe members.

She said she got the idea from watching crowds at a Sam's Club store in the northern part of the state of Arizona. People bought up all the necessary products. Older Native Americans did not move fast enough. Harvey saw them looking sad when they reached empty places in the store.

Harvey's effort is about saving lives, but it also is about more than that. Tribal³ elders serve as honored links to the past and often have rare knowledge of language, history and culture.

The knowledge of elders is valuable because tribes often pass down their traditions using spoken words or by telling stories. Tribal groups are giving out protective equipment, providing meals and trying to quickly get vaccines⁵ for their oldest members.

That includes the Navajo Nation in the American Southwest, the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma, the Blackfeet Nation in Montana and the Mashantucket Pequot Nation in Connecticut.

Loss of elders to the virus could mean a permanent loss of important traditions for the tribes.

"When you lose an elder, you lose a part of yourself," said Harvey. She lives in Leupp, Arizona, east of the city of Flagstaff.

Harvey remembers her own grandfather explaining the stories behind Navajo songs and teaching her Navajo words from the songs. She often listened to her grandparents speaking Navajo while she went over the words quietly to herself.

Tribal treasures

In Oklahoma, the Cherokee Nation has increased the amount of food it gives to elders. The nation has also given money to those who were struggling to pay living costs. The tribe plans to give COVID-19 vaccinations⁶ first to elders and those who work with them, along with hospital and emergency workers. Next are those whose first language is Cherokee and others considered "tribal treasures."

An effort among the Blackfeet in Montana is helping⁷ the tribe's members connect with elders who need support. Connecticut's Mashantucket Pequot Nation is providing its members with face coverings and online medical advice. They also say they are providing meals and vaccinations.

Precious libraries of knowledge

Loren Racine started a Facebook page offering help in the Blackfeet community. "Elders are like libraries. Losing one is like a library burning down," she said.

Roy Boney Jr. supervises⁸ a Cherokee language program. He said most Cherokee speakers are elders. They make up a small number of people the program trusts to teach the language. "Elders hold our history and culture but also our language. ... Our elders are precious," Boney said.

Almost half of the Cherokee who died from the coronavirus in the tribe's health services spoke⁴ Cherokee well. Boney said losing even a few speakers can be very harmful to the efforts to save the language and culture. They have special knowledge of local ways of speaking, medicine and customs, he said. "All these things we're trying to revitalize and save, they're the heart of all of it."

Mashantucket Pequot elders changed to online meetings for the gatherings⁹ of many generations where traditional stories are told. An elders council also helps to organize Pequot language game nights and Schemitzun, the annual Festival of the Green Corn.

The tribe's chief medical officer is Setu Vora. He said when his group heard about the threat of COVID-19, "we immediately started working to protect them." The tribe has no known COVID-19 deaths.

Pequot elders play an important part in the effort to recover the tribe's language, which is no longer widely spoken. Elders still remember hearing family members speak the language and can give details about words. A few of the tribe's 2,000 members are learning to speak Pequot as they research and reclaim¹⁰ new words, Vora said.

Honoring 'Granny'

Karen Ketcher was among 28 Cherokee Nation elders who died from the coronavirus. She was almost 71 years old and had many years of experience working for the tribe and the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs. Her knowledge was valuable, said her granddaughter, Taryn King, who is 31 years old and lives in Stilwell, Oklahoma.

"There's so much at stake when this virus hits our communities," King said. She described elders as "the glue that holds our communities together."

A co-worker, Kamisha Hair, said everyone who worked with Ketcher loved her and called her "Granny." Ketcher died in April. Relatives held a small outdoor service for her. When they returned to town, other Cherokees were standing¹¹ in the streets to show their respect for her.

"Losing an elder like Granny is like losing a piece of your identity," Hair said. "It dies with them, and you can never get it back."

I'm Jill Robbins.

Words in This Story

elder – n. an older person; senior member of a group

Nation – n. a tribe of Native Americans or a group of Native American tribes that share the same history, traditions, or language and is under the control of its own government

precious –adj. very valuable and important

revitalize – v. to make (someone or something) active, healthy, or energetic again

at stake – adj. in a position to be lost or gained

glue – n. a substance used to stick things tightly together

1 tribe   

n.部落，种族，一伙人

参考例句：

• This is a subject tribe.这是个受他人统治的部落。
• Many of the tribe's customs and rituals are as old as the hills.这部落的许多风俗、仪式都极其古老。

2 tribes   

n.部落( tribe的名词复数 )；（动、植物的）族；（一）帮；大群

参考例句：

• tribes living in remote areas of the Amazonian rainforest 居住在亚马孙河雨林偏远地区的部落
• In Africa the snake is still sacred with many tribes. 非洲许多部落仍认为蛇是不可冒犯的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 vaccines   

疫苗，痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His team are at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines. 他的小组处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
• The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators. 疫苗放在冰箱中冷藏。

6 vaccinations   

n.种痘，接种( vaccination的名词复数 )；牛痘疤

参考例句：

• Vaccinations ensure one against diseases. 接种疫苗可以预防疾病。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I read some publicity about vaccinations while waiting my turn at the doctor's. 在医生那儿候诊时，我读了一些关于接种疫苗的宣传。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

8 supervises   

v.监督，管理( supervise的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The group leader supervises a dozen workers. 组长管十二个工人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He makes the wines and supervises the vineyards. 他酿酒并管理葡萄园。 来自辞典例句

9 gatherings   

聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集

参考例句：

• His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
• During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。

10 reclaim   

v.要求归还，收回；开垦

参考例句：

• I have tried to reclaim my money without success.我没能把钱取回来。
• You must present this ticket when you reclaim your luggage.当你要取回行李时，必须出示这张票子。

11 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。