Navajo Nation Firekeeper Maria Calamity gives back to her community and registers voters.

Maria

Ahéhee’ Maria for your many years of public service and making sure our people are heard! Meet Maria Calamity, one of our outstanding Firekeepers. Our Firekeepers program is our matriarch network.

“Ya'at'eeh, Maria Calamity yinishyé. I was born and raised in Blue Gap, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation and the 5th child of 14 children. Today, there are 10 of us left. We continue to be close knit and support each other as well as our children and grandchildren. I have three children and I am a proud grandparent to nine grandchildren.

I left home right after graduating from junior college. I unfolded a map, spread it out, and closed my eyes. I told myself that wherever I pointed, I would go there. I landed on San Francisco. I was fortunate to find a place and a job quickly. Since my bay area days, my journey has been full of adventures.

Leaving home was a challenge, but I needed to help myself and my family. We struggled a lot growing up. I felt like we struggled constantly to meet basic needs like having enough food for all of us, clothes, among other things. It was a hard life, but we did the best we could. I’ve worked all my life and I made sure to also continue my education. I earned a degree in social work and have been blessed to work with people who also just needed a little bit of help to get back on their feet. Folks who needed medical and cash assistance and food stamps. I worked with a lot of community members and referred many to resources and services. For those who wished to further their education, obtain good employment, or start a new career I helped where I was needed. I retired from the state of Arizona several years ago and then began a new journey with the Navajo Nation Child Support Services. This was the first time I worked with Navajo Nation and I learned so much about the state of our families and sometimes it was hard to hear the stories, but this is what we were here for–to help. And sometimes you get the success stories and that’s what gives you hope and you keep moving forward. In October 2021, I retired from the Navajo Nation.

Since retiring, I’ve worked part-time during the summers, with agriculture and Census canvassing. In 2022, I canvassed with my party to help with the election. Today, I am a Firekeeper with Arizona Native Vote, our new 501c3 non-partisan organization doing more community outreach and education around voting and civic engagement.

I really enjoy working in the field, meeting people, and having conversations with people about their livelihood. This type of visiting allows us time to strengthen and renew relationships with relatives and community members. And it brings me a lot of joy when I see how happy they are to see me. People I may have never met before have greeted me like they’ve always known me. I am usually reserved, but that does not mean I am standoffish. I am a good listener and observe a lot. I guess this comes from being a middle child and not always being heard over the voices of my siblings. These skills have come in handy in my work because by the time I leave people I’ve visited with I usually know how the family is doing and what possible help they may need. For example, if a family or individual in the more remote part of our community needs assistance I may stop by the chapter house to inform them of the situation and possible assistance they may need. And if possible, our team may help too.

Our team hit the ground running last May, attending events, encouraging and helping people to register to vote, making home visits, being in the classrooms, and attending local community meetings. We even set up by the roadside from time to time and serve free fry bread. I believe the efforts that we put into visiting and connecting with people, as well as educating on the importance of their vote, makes all the difference. Not only in the elections, but to show our people they do matter and that we care. It’s more than just a vote, it’s an investment in our people, and what we want our communities to be.

I look forward to what 2024 will bring and what we will continue to build beyond election day. So stop by and visit with us when you see our free frybread and voter registration sign.”