The US first lady has spent the first day of her visit to the Navajo Nation meeting with local female leaders, calling them “sister warriors”, stressing the fact that she was addressing the Navajo Nation on a day that highlights the protection of Mother Earth, and listening to the needs and priorities of the country's largest Native American reservation.
“It's on all of us together to find the path back to hoz'ho — harmony and beauty, the world as it should be,” she said.
Navajo Nation First Lady Phefelia Nez thanked Biden for supporting a cancer treatment centre in Tuba City. The wife of Navajo Nation Vice President Myron Lizer said that “It is an honour to support and work with a spiritual woman leader who shares the values of harmony, faith, and compassion with each of us,” and President Jonathan Nez later said that the Navajo word for compassion, “jooba’ii” sounds a lot like “Joe Biden”.
Others also spoke about violence against women, saying that more resources are needed for victims.
"I just met with a group of women, who I now call my sister warriors," Biden said after meeting with the female leaders.
This is the first lady’s inaugural visit to the reservation and a third in general. Biden last visited the reservation in 2019 where she urged Americans to contribute financially to a cancer treatment centre in Tuba City.
