Robinson Honani, Hopi Department of Natural Resources

Hundreds of bales of hay have been donated to ranchers and livestock producers of the Hopi Tribe, who have been unable to access their normal hay supplies due to stay-at-home orders.

A group of federal, university and tribal partners is providing much-needed hay for Hopi ranchers during the coronavirus pandemic. 

The stay-at-home order has made it difficult for Hopi ranchers to get hay for their livestock. Native Waters on Arid Lands, a federal grant-funded project, delivered 350 bales of hay late last month.  

Susan Sekaquaptewa is the agent for the University of Arizona extension program on Hopi. She said it’s hard to get hay in the best of circumstances.

“You do need financial resources, you need a vehicle, you need insurance for your vehicle, you need gas and time to take these one-hour, two-hour one-way trips,” Sekaquaptewa said. “So double that time that’s two hours to four hours to just drive there and back.”

As the number of coronavirus cases increases, the tribe remains locked down until at least the end of this month. 

The group is raising money to deliver more hay, PPE and wood when the temperatures drop.

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