WINDOW ROCK AZ — The Navajo Nation Office of the Controller and Office of Vital Records & Identification have announced a series of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Hardship and Certificate of Indian Blood (CIB) Technical Assistance Drives in nearby cities, to provide help with completing and submitting applications for ARPA Hardship Assistance and to apply for a CIB. If an individual previously received the hardship assistance, they do not have to re-apply to receive the ARPA Hardship Assistance. COVID-19 protocols will be in place and all attendees are required to wear a face mask at all times.
“Many of our Navajo citizens reside in metropolitan areas, and many do not have the resources or transportation to obtain technical assistance for the ARPA Hardship Assistance or tribal enrollment process,” said Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez. “Personnel with the Office of the Controller and Vital Records continue to work long hours to process a high volume of documents as quickly as possible and to provide the necessary assistance. We anticipate a large number of people so please be patient and expect some waiting time. We must also remember that we are in the midst of a COVID-19 surge, so please wear two masks at all times, practice social distancing, and be very cautious.”
The Navajo Nation ARPA Hardship and CIB Technical Assistance Drives are scheduled at the following locations:
- Feb. 3, 2022 from 1:00pm to 5:00pm, and Feb. 4, 2022 from 9:00am to 5:00pm at the Albuquerque Indian Center (105 Texas St. SE, Albuquerque, NM 87108)
- Feb. 17 – 18, 2022 from 9:00am to 4:00pm at the Phoenix Indian Center (4520 N Central Ave. #250, Phoenix, AZ 85012)
- Mar. 3 – 4, 2022 from 9:00am to 3:00pm at the Tucson Indian Center (160 N Stone Ave., Tucson, AZ 85701)
- Apr. 14 – 15, 2022 from 9:00am to 4:00pm at the Urban Indian Center of Salt Lake (120 W 1300 S St., Salt Lake City, UT 84115)
- Apr. 28 – 29, 2022 from 9:00am to 3:00pm at the Denver Indian Center Inc. (4407 Morrison Rd., Denver, CO 80219)
On Jan. 4, President Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer signed Resolution CD-62-21 into law, approving $557 million for the ARPA Hardship Assistance to provide direct financial relief for the Navajo people to help mitigate the effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The funding will provide $2,000 for adults, who are 18 years and older on or before Jan. 4, 2022 and $600 for minors who are enrolled members of the Navajo Nation.
On Jan. 10, the Office of the Controller began accepting new applications for the ARPA Hardship Assistance Program for enrolled members of the Navajo Nation, who did not previously receive Hardship Assistance. New applicants must complete/sign the ARPA Hardship Program application and submit no later than Dec. 30, 2022.
Personnel at the sites will provide guidance on any ARPA Hardship and CIB inquiries, including change of address forms, printing and copying services, and individual concerns related to the application process and tribal enrollment. The technical assistance drives will not include any type of check distributions. In addition, applicants seeking to enroll with the Navajo Nation, obtain a copy of their CIB, or update their tribal enrollment information will be required to provide current and original records of birth/death certificates, marriage licenses, divorce decrees, or other court-ordered documents. The Navajo Office of Vital Records will not be able to provide same-day CIB’s due to additional necessary verification to be conducted by agency offices.
The technical assistance drives will adhere to all COVID-19 safety protocols, such as wearing a face mask, temperature screening, and social distancing. In addition, attendees are highly encouraged to be fully vaccinated.
The Office of the Controller continues to process over 16,000 change of address forms that have been received in January. The Office of the Controller has also begun issuing CARES Act Hardship Assistance relief checks for the 48,000 elderly recipients in the amount of $342 each.
The ARPA Hardship Application form is available on the Office of the Controller website at https://www.nnooc.org and on the ARPA website at https://www.navajonationarpa.org. A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) sheet is available online here.