{"id":29506,"date":"2020-03-30T19:45:23","date_gmt":"2020-03-30T19:45:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/colorlines.madeostudio.com\/article\/native-americans-fight-multiple-covid-19-crises\/"},"modified":"2020-03-30T19:45:23","modified_gmt":"2020-03-30T19:45:23","slug":"native-americans-fight-multiple-covid-19-crises","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/colorlines.com\/article\/native-americans-fight-multiple-covid-19-crises\/","title":{"rendered":"Native Americans Fight Multiple COVID-19 Crises"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Native Americans Fight Multiple COVID-19 Crises<\/h3>\n

\n By N. Jamiyla Chisholm<\/span> Mar 30, 2020<\/span>\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n

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On March 27, chairman <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Cedric Cromwell<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> of the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> in Massachusetts <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>published a statement<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> saying the federal government was taking action to disestablish their reservation. \u201cOn the very day that the United States has reached a record 100,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and our Tribe is desperately struggling with responding to this devastating pandemic\u2014the Bureau of Indian Affairs informed me that the Secretary of the Interior has ordered that our reservation be disestablished and that our land be taken out of trust,\u201d Cromwell wrote. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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After questioning the reason for this move, Cromwell continued, \u201cRegardless of the answer, we the People of the First Light have lived here since before there was a Secretary of the Interior since before there was a State of Massachusetts, since before the Pilgrims arrived 400 years ago.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Cromwell\u2019s alarm-sounding is valid, as reports from <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Vox<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> and the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Los Angeles Times<\/a> confirm that the<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>COVID-19<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> crisis is hitting Native American reservations particularly hard. The LA Times<\/span> reported on March 29 that the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Navajo Nation<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> reservation confirmed its first case on March 17. Days later, there were nearly 115 cases with two deaths as a result of the virus. Factor in <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>high poverty and unemployment rates<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>, a <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>lack of clean drinking water<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> and <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>electricity<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>, and stark health disparities<\/a>, and \u201cCOVID-19 could be a perfect storm for Indian Country,\u201d executive director for the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Native American Financial Officers Association<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Dante Desiderio<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> told Vox<\/span> in a March 25 article.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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To make sure people living on reservations get help, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Ethel Branch<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>, a former attorney general for the Navajo Nation, started a <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>GoFundMe page<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> to help the most vulnerable with food donations. As a result, The <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>LA Times<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> reported that hundreds of families have received baskets that include flour, beans, rice, Tylenol and other necessities. \u201cWe have to all do our part, because who knows if the government support will do anything,\u201d Branch told the Times. The new $2 trillion <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>COVID-19 Stimulus Bill<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> includes $8 billion for Native American tribal governments and a $150 billion Coronavirus Relief Fund<\/a> for all tribes.  <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Yet even with a pandemic in full swing and events being postponed en masse around the country, the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Winnebago Tribe<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> of Nebraska confirmed Cromwell\u2019s ire in a March 30 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>tweet<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> from their national news outlet <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Indianz<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>, that the U.S. Supreme Court will still hear <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>McGirt v. Oklahoma<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> on April 21. This case would decide whether much of the reservation land in Oklahoma indeed <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>belongs to the Native Americans<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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The US Supreme Court continues work on McGirt v Oklahoma, with argument in Indian law case still scheduled for April 21 amid #COVID19<\/a> social distancing guidelines, travel advisories & other restrictions. Will update if Court provides further information. https:\/\/t.co\/vubExibnRC<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/WI0FSioQOG<\/a><\/p>\n

rn\u2014 indianz.com (@indianz) March 30, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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