“It’s going to be OK”
Q&A with Native Sun Devil auntie Dr. Michelle Tom
By: Taylor Notah
Tribal affiliation: Diné
’18 BA Journalism
On April 22, 2020, Dr. Michelle Tom (Diné) spoke with Turning Points Magazine to share words of encouragement to our Native college students who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally from Winslow, Arizona, Dr. Tom is a former Arizona State University women’s basketball player who now works at the Little Colorado Medical Center in her hometown where she is treating coronavirus patients. She is of the Tobahaa’ clan, born for the ‘Ashiihí clan.
COVID-19 has caused a lot of uncertainty. What are some words of encouragement for our students who may want to go home but can’t due to safety?
Tom: This hits a lot home right now for me actually because I moved out. I had been away from home since turning 18 when I was in college and I didn’t think that I’d have to leave home again. When you talk about uncertainty, I don’t know when I get to go home just like them because I’m at high-risk exposure and I have a multi-generational family at home. My mom, nieces, nephews and sisters, they all pretty much reside in the same home. I had to move out so I wouldn’t have to endanger them.
So I know what they feel. I remember that being a student. What got me through those times? I know I woke up early this morning really exhausted because I’ve been doing interviews, trying to read certain journal articles, trying to do different relief efforts. I feel like I haven’t been sleeping very much. I told myself, “Okay, I need to slow down. I need to rebalance myself. I need to take a moment.” So I went out and I had my medicine bundles that I got from my mom and my dad, I burned some sage, and I just let it all out. I think you have to do that.
It comes down to finding your center, knowing your purpose, going back to our ancestors and praying about it, being spiritual about it, grounding yourself, and asking anything to balance your heart and mind. I was away from home, too, and that’s what I did this morning, trying to find a balance.
I know our college kids want to go home and hold their moms, dads, grandmas, masanis and cheiis (Diné terms for grandmas and grandpas). I get that, but I think we have to be strong for them and for ourselves. This is for learning. This is what’s going to make them stronger. It made me stronger when I was away because your purpose is to educate yourself, do the best you can, learn as much as you can and be strong as much as you can so you can go home and be a better person for your family, mind, body, spirit, education and community.
What are some ways that students can help during this pandemic?
Tom: Being a younger generation with social media is about being that public health advocate. I know they want to be involved and be there, but it’s also a public safety issue. I know they probably want to be on the ground and they want to do all of these things, but the best thing they can do… is to continue to educate themselves, be in line and keep themselves safe. Quarantine and public safety is huge. They can reach out by Zoom or social media and talk with their grandma if possible or their mom or siblings everyday just to say, ‘Hey grandma, grandpa, I’m doing okay. Don’t worry about me.’ Their elders are worried, too, saying, ‘Our children, they’re way out in the cities.’ I know my mom likes to hear my voice everyday. It makes her feel better.
Self distancing, of course. You hear it all over the media but it’s true. I see people who walk around all the time without masks and they’re close together in groups. I see it all the time. I don’t see people wearing those things. So wearing a mask, being mindful of your actions, staying away even if that means family and that’s hard, I know.
Also, public health awareness. They can share legitimate information to their elders, families and to their cousins. They can say, “Let’s put in a strong effort into our family. Let’s have a group discussion on Facebook or Zoom with our family and say, ‘How can we do it better? How can we be safer?’” Develop a plan for your family. I developed a plan for my family. There’s only one or two people who go into stores, no one else can go. I’ve helped them saying, ‘Wear this mask, don’t touch this, this is how you’re going to have to go in and this is how you’re going to come out.’ Things like that. Develop a plan because… it’s still rising everyday. We have to keep continuing to be strong. Be mindful, respect this virus. Respect it. It has a lot of power. The education that we have so far, that’s how we’re able to combat it.
When we look at the facts, several students may have dropped classes, moved away due to unforeseen circumstances that no one wanted to go through. For days when students feel defeated, what can they do?
Tom: I know when you’re young, you feel like you got to do everything right away. You have to accomplish that. When you grow, my elders have told me, “What’s the rush?” Sometimes there’s beauty in a tornado, there’s balance. You have to find that. Maybe this is a perfect way for you to reevaluate who you are as a person and what you want to do. Put it on paper, what’s your plan because people don’t realize in the grand scheme of a whole lifetime, this is temporary.
You have to think of your elders, the people who were walking the Long Walk, who were in boarding schools. You have to remember those before us to get you here. It teaches you patience as this is temporary. If you learn this patience, you will know that your path is still going to be there.
Although you may have dropped out, failed a class, I’ve been there. I’ve failed exams, I’ve been held back so many times, but the point is: you still get to do it. You’re still attempting, you’re going to go back there, just have patience. This, too, will pass and I think that’s where you need to find your strength. It’s going to be OK.
What fuels you each day?
Tom: My people. I was pretty much traditional growing up in that way with hózhó. That is all of me. Our kinship, language, people, spiritualism is mind blowing. Living for today, being blessed for today. Waking up to the sun and saying, ‘I’m here, Creator.’ Our stories, kinship and songs are so strong. We’ve been through so much as a people, not just Navajo but all of us. And yet we’re still here. We have to survive, we have to beat this because so many people perished before us to bring us here.
Follow Dr. Michelle Tom on her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/dr.michelletom
Watch the recorded April 10, 2020 Protect the Sacred Facebook live video:
https://www.facebook.com/protectthesacrednow/videos/2649464581952518/
