Yes, as curious as it may sound, Native American Indians do celebrate July 4th—Independence Day—in the US. Here are some tips from our ThinkFirst Navajo Injury Prevention Program for staying safe this July 4th and throughout the rest of the summer months.
- Do not drink and drive and do not get into a vehicle with anyone who is under the influence.
- As always, be sure to buckle up and restrain all infants and young children in appropriate seats.
- Distracted driving could kill you in a second. Don’t text and drive or talk on your cell phone and drive.
- Do not set off your own fireworks, but instead go to a public display put on by experts.
- Don’t allow children to light or handle fireworks.
- Keep children and pets away from your grills and open fires. Keep open flames away from trees, branches and anything else that could catch on fire quickly.
- Don’t leave food out for more than an hour with temperatures above 90 degrees and no more than two hours at other times.
- As always, keep firearms locked and away from children.
- Protect your pets. Many are frightened by the loud noises of fireworks and many run away during this time. Keep them safe and securely sheltered.
- Wear a helmet while riding a bike, horse, ATV, during all rodeo activities and other recreational activities.
- Don’t dive head first into any body of water until you are sure of its depth.
Remember, most injuries are preventable.
It is not an accident, if it could have been prevented.
“Use your mind to protect your body.”
Have fun, celebrate, stay safe, be responsible and ThinkFirst.
Since its creation in 2005, our award-winning injury prevention program has taught more than 50,000 young Native people about injury prevention across the Navajo Nation in the states of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. The goal of the program is to prevent fatal and disabling injuries among Navajo children and teens.
We rely solely on donations from organizations and individuals to be able to provide free evidence -based education to Native youth in schools, at conferences, chapter houses and at other youth oriented venues.
We appreciate gifts of any dollar amount and apply 100% of all donations directly to our programs.
For more information and to donate, visit our website at: www.evesfund.org
