Today, the Notah Begay III (NB3) Foundation announces that it has made grant awards to 53 Native-led organizations in 14 states who are working to alleviate the impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The NB3 Foundation established its COVID-19 Response Fund in April, raising over $400,000 to support COVID relief efforts in Native communities.

“NB3 Foundation is honored to be providing this funding to Native communities during this critical time of the pandemic,” said Jon Driskell, NB3 Foundation chief operations officer. “We know the impacts of COVID-19 will be ongoing, so we are grateful to partner with Native-led efforts working to provide for those in need.”

The awarding of these essential grants marks the end of the NB3 Foundation’s COVID-19 Response Fund.

The NB3 Foundation will continue to address the public health needs magnified by COVID-19 through supporting culturally responsive, health prevention strategies that strengthen Indigenous resiliency. This pandemic is a strong reminder of the greater need to invest in the long-term health sustainability of our Indigenous youth and communities, particularly on reservations and pueblos.

We are honored to support the amazing work of these organizations and tribes:

Acoma Education Foundation

Ajo Center for Sustainable Agriculture

Alaska Village Initiatives

Barcid Foundation

Center Pole

Central Oklahoma American Indian Health Council, Inc. dba Oklahoma City Indian Clinic

Cheyenne River Youth Project

Chizh for Cheii

Consolidated Tribal Health Project Inc

Denver Indian Family Resource Center

Diné Healers Relief

Diné Introspective, Inc.

Eastern Shawnee Tribe Of Oklahoma

F.A.C.E.S. First, Ltd.

First Nations Community HealthSource

Hannahville Indian Community

Healing Circle Drop In Center

Healing Our Communities

Hearts Gathered Immersion School

Indigenous Idaho Alliance

Indigenous Knowledge Collective

Inter Tribal Sports, Inc.

Kewa Child Care & Development

Kno’Qoit Native Wellness, Inc.

La Jolla Generations Program

Laguna Rainbow Corporation

Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe

LF: Friends for Life

Makoce Agriculture Development

NACA-Inspired Schools Network

Native Action Network

Native American Advancement Foundation

Native American Community Board

Native American Parent Advisory Committee (NAPAC) of the SFPS Native American Student Services Program (NASS)

Northwest Tribal Emergency Management Council

Oglala Sioux Tribe Partnership for Housing, Inc.

Oneida Nation

Pueblo of Pojoaque Early Childhood Center

Pueblo of San Felipe

Pueblo of Sandia

Ramah Navajo School Board. Inc and Ramah Navajo Chapter

Rez Refuge Community Center

Santa Clara Pueblo

Santa Clara Pueblo Regional Adult Day Care

Santa Clara Pueblo Senior Center

Santo Domingo Tribal Housing Authority

Sicangu Community Development Corporation

Society of Native Nations

St. Michael Indian School

Stockbridge-Munsee Community

Thunder Valley CDC

Ute Tribe Health Coalition

yəhaw̓ Indigenous Artist Collective

Zuni Youth Enrichment Project

Press Release from Nalgene Outdoor

Nalgene Outdoor, maker of reusable water bottles and the steward of The Nalgene Water Fund, pledges its support to Navajo Nation (Diné) with the launch of its exclusive “Tó éí iiná” (Water is Life) bottle, from which five dollars from every sale will benefit Navajo Nation. Additionally, Nalgene recently donated nearly $30,000 in funds and critical supplies to combat the water crisis facing America’s largest Indigenous tribe. 

Available for purchase at Nalgene.com for $15.00, the new bottle was designed in partnership with Jaden Redhair, age 20, an accomplished designer, member of the Jemez Clan, and life-long Navajo Nation resident.  His unique design features a striking landscape of Monument Valley framed within the map of the Navajo homeland. Displayed prominently on the bottle is the Navajo phrase “Tó éí iiná” (Water is Life) to raise awareness of the Navajo’s core belief that water is essential to all living things. 

“The design symbolizes the sacred role water plays in the Diné people’s lives,” says Redhair. “I hope it draws attention to my people’s plight. Right now, one in three Navajo Nation households struggle daily because they do not have access to running water.”

The exclusive bottle is a way to involve Nalgene fans in a mission to support the Navajo Nation, expanding the Nalgene Water Fund’s greater commitment:

• Five dollars from the sale of every Tó éí iiná (Water is Life) bottle will go directly to future water efforts to provide additional resources to Navajo Nation residents.
• With Nalgene’s initial donation of $15,000, The Community Outreach & Patient Empowerment (COPE) Program, a Native-led community-based organization, will install six water filling stations across Navajo Nation, a notoriously rural area.
• COPE will also distribute 90 much needed Nalgene Carboys, 13 gallons reusable leak-proof containers to Navajo residents to transport water from the refill stations. (Valued at $14,000)

Every Nalgene bottle is BPA- and BPS-free, durable, leak-proof, dishwasher safe and made in America with its tried and true, one bottle and one cap simple design that has become iconic to Nalgene. 

For more information on The Nalgene Water Fund or to read more about Jaden Redhair and his design for the new Navajo inspired Nalgene bottle, visit https://nalgene.com/nalgene-water-fund/

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About the Artist: Jaden Redhair

Jaden Redhair is from the Jemez Clan and born for the Charcoal Streaked of the Red Running into the Water Clan. His maternal grandfather’s clan is Water’s Edge and his paternal grandfather’s clan is Bitter Water. In Navajo, “Tó éí iiná” translates to “Water is Life.” Water is the essence and the focal point of the Diné people, but many of the homes on the Navajo Nation do not have access to running water or electricity. With the Nalgene Water Fund, Jaden created a bottle design to help raise funds for accessible water throughout the Navajo Nation, a nation of well over 300,000 people. 

Jaden helps progress the Navajo Nation forward through his education and design work. He is currently an undergraduate studying electrical engineering at Stanford University (’22), but for all his life, he has known Window Rock, Arizona on the Navajo Nation as his home. Eldest of seven children, Jaden seeks to be a role model to his younger siblings, teaching them to be proud of their community and give back in any way they can. His work not only raises awareness about and funds for Navajo issues, but also enables Navajo people to make a change for the better, one person and one community at a time.

About NALGENE Outdoor

NALGENE® Outdoor Products is based in Rochester, New York. Founded in 1949 as a manufacturer of the first plastic pipette holder, the company soon expanded its product line to include state-of-the-art polyethylene labware under the NALGENE brand. By the mid-1970s, outdoor enthusiasts had discovered the taste and odor-resistant, leak-proof and rugged properties of NALGENE’s large selection of plastic containers. In response to this emerging demand, NALGENE Outdoor Products was formed and today the consumer-oriented business offers its customers a wide choice of safe, environmentally friendly, BPA- and BPS- free products that meet their lifestyle needs. For more information, contact NALGENE Consumer Products or visit www.nalgene.com.

The Nalgene Water Fund

The Nalgene Water Fund (NWF) was created in August 2019 to raise funds and awareness for [domestic] U.S. communities struggling with access to clean water by supporting grass-roots nonprofits serving those communities. By fall 2020 the NWF had identified programs in both Flint, MI and Navajo Nation to benefit from donations. In Flint, MI the NWF is helping to support The Flint Community Lab, a community-run lab that is for and by the local community, instilling trust as the City rebuilds from its water crisis. For more information visit www.nalgene.com/nalgene-water-fund/.

 Like so many other organizations, we were unsure how to go about our annual events. In 2020, many of our events were canceled for the safety of our youth and communities. However, we were able to host NB3FIT Week and our NB3FIT Community XC Race virtually! 

“We are so thankful we had the ability to go virtual and that our Native youth and communities, near and far, showed up and participated,” Cyanne Lujan, director of advancement said.  “Though we couldn’t see our community members in person for the race, going virtual allowed everyone the opportunity to participate no matter where they live.”

NB3 Foundation has been hosting NB3FIT Week every November since 2016. NB3FIT Week has always been a week-long initiative dedicated to getting Native youth and communities healthy and active! Each year, NB3 Foundation calls on Native organizations and tribes to host health and fitness events for their youth and community members. This year, Native communities across the country hosted their own virtual and socially-distanced events that provided their community the opportunity to stay active while staying SAFE.

Going virtual for the NB3FIT Virtual XC Race was also a new scene for the NB3 Foundation, and served as a great learning experience for the years to come. 

“Going forward, I think we will always provide the virtual aspect,” Lujan said. “We learned this is a great way to be inclusive of Native youth and communities who cannot travel and participate in person.” 

We especially want to recognize the organizations, communities and families that joined us for our virtual events. For the first time, NB3 Foundation provided instructional videos to participants to help promote physical activity and healthy nutrition during NB3FIT Week.

 “Like everyone else, we were limited on what we could do safely this year. We tried our best and were able to try some new things this year with the videos and NB3FIT Week Bingo,” Lujan said. “We look forward to learning from 2020 and making 2021 an even better experience for Native youth and families.”