Protect the Sacred

Mission

We educate and empower the next generation of leaders and allies to use transformative storytelling and community building to strengthen Indigenous sovereignty and protect Indigenous elders, languages, and medicine ways.

Vision

Indigenous voices and stories are abundant in popular culture, and Indigenous language, culture and knowledge are thriving.

About

In 2020, Navajo Nation – home to over 170,000 Native people – became the number one COVID-19 hotspot in the United States as the virus infected more people per capita than any other state in the country. The high rate of COVID-19 infection on the Navajo Nation was influenced by systemic imbalances such as lack of access to quality healthcare, insufficient internet infrastructure, and historic disinvestment. By June of that year, Navajo Nation had 25% more cases per 1,000 people than the second most affected state in the country.

Allie Young, Harness Programs Manager, founded Protect the Sacred (PTS) in March 2020 to help slow the spread of the coronavirus on the Navajo Nation by organizing young people as leaders in their community. PTS’s focus expanded to organizing Native people throughout Indian Country and allies to protect Native elders, language, and culture through civic engagement and public health culture change campaigns.