Thanksgiving holds a special and complex significance for Native American communities. It’s a time to reflect on gratitude, gather with loved ones, and honor traditions. But for many families on remote reservations, the holiday also highlights the challenges of food insecurity. Access to a hearty Thanksgiving meal can be difficult, especially in areas where food resources are scarce. That’s where the Southwest Indian Relief Council® (SWIRC), a program of Partnership With Native Americans® (PWNA), steps in to make a difference.

Through our Thanksgiving Community Meal service, SWIRC provides staple foods like turkey, potatoes, and cranberry sauce to reservation-based Program Partners, ensuring Elders and families can come together for a warm, festive meal. This year, the Birdsprings Senior Center in Arizona hosted a community meal with SWIRC’s support, welcoming 150 guests from the Birdsprings and Leupp chapters of the Navajo Nation.

Our Program Partner, Cornelia, runs the Birdsprings Senior Center and works tirelessly to ensure the needs of Elders across the chapters are met. The meal provided more than nourishment—it brought people together. Attendees introduced themselves and shared their clans during the meal, deepening the sense of community. Cornelia shared, “We found out that we already knew each other.”

For many, this meal was a rare and cherished experience. “One Elder told me this is the only Thanksgiving meal he’ll probably have,” Cornelia said. “He lost his wife four years ago and hasn’t had a Thanksgiving meal since then.”

Among the attendees were 78-year-old Chilson and 73-year-old Lorraine M., a couple married for 54 years. Chilson, a proud Army veteran and paratrooper, served in Vietnam from 1967-68. Chilson and Lorraine recalled the difficulties they faced after he returned home. The Navajo-Hopi Land Settlement Act of 1974 resulted in the forced relocation of families living in the partitioned land that was once jointly used. He shared, “When I came back, the government took my land away.” His family’s livestock and source of income were seized, forcing him to work in Flagstaff.

However, Chilson also has fond memories of his childhood before the relocation. He recalled riding a horsedrawn wagon with his siblings as his mother took them to the trading post to buy holiday gifts. “We used to wrap ourselves in blankets during the ride because it was cold,” he recalled.

Susie, another attendee, lives in a remote area that locals call “no man’s land.” The dirt roads often become impassable during rain due to muddy conditions and clay, making road maintenance difficult. Despite these challenges, Susie was happy to make the trip to Birdsprings with her brother Norman and father John to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal. For Susie, the meal offered more than sustenance. “Thank you very much, and Happy Thanksgiving!” she said, expressing her gratitude for the event that brought comfort and connection to her family.

Cornelia acknowledged the need for more resources in the community, especially for Elders who live in the most remote corners of the Chapter. She shared, “The further out you go, a lot of the Elders live by themselves. They don’t want to move into a housing area. They want to live out there because it’s their livestock; it’s their land. This is a big deal for them because lots of them don’t get this meal anywhere else.”

Cornelia continues to advocate for the community’s needs, including a new senior center. Her efforts have already made an impact, bringing the issue to the Navajo Nation Council and other key leaders. She thanked PWNA as one of her biggest supporters, saying, “We would not be able to feed our Elders without the donations from PWNA. Food is so expensive, and we feed over 2,000 [people] every month.”

Thanks to SWIRC and its supporters, the Thanksgiving Community Meal at Birdsprings was a success—nourishing the body and spirit. Events like these remind us of the power of community, connection, and hope, even in the face of adversity.