Family of Hopi artist says mother’s body was given to wrong family

SECOND MESA, AZ (AZFamily) — The family of well-known Hopi artist Dawn Navasie recently filed a lawsuit against the federal government, alleging their mother’s body was mishandled and given to the wrong people.

In November 2022, Navasie died, and according to Hopi tradition, the family must bury someone within four days.

The lawsuit says that on that fourth day, Navasie’s family came to get her body from the Hopi Health Care Center in Polacca, Arizona, for a proper burial.

But the family states that when they arrived, they couldn’t find her.

“When they got there, the security told them to just go in there. She was in the freezer. When they got in there, my family pulled her out and noticed it wasn’t her,” said Starlie Mahkewa, Navasie’s son.

The family said after four hours of searching, they found out their mother’s body was accidentally given to another family who had already buried her.

They were unable to exhume her body due to tribal traditions.

“It’s not a good feeling to have, and for your family to carry the same emotion. My kids took it hard. I know they hurt. And wholesale. My brother hurts, and it just sucks,” Mahkewa said.

On June 3, 2023, Mahkewa and his brother filed an administrative complaint with the US Department of Health and Human Services for $2 million, which was later denied in April 2024.

“From what I was told was that the hospital staff that were working that day essentially apologized for what happened and said there was a mistake. “Things of that nature, and it sounded like it was going to be a straight forward process in terms of admitting liability and just fixing the wrong that had happened,” said attorney Colin Bradley.

In August, Mahkewa and his brother filed a lawsuit against the federal government in response to that denied claim.

The lawsuit alleges counts of guilt under the Federal Tort Claims Act and Arizona common law.

Mahkewa and his brother seek general and compensatory damages, including pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and economic loss.

“I’m not worried about a settlement. “I just want to know that someone gets held responsible for what happened because this shouldn’t happen to anybody,” Mahkewa said.

Arizona’s Family reached out to the Department of Health and Human Services, but they said they are unable to comment on pending litigation.

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