April 8, 2020
As we continue to see and feel the impact of the coronavirus pandemic in our lives and in our community, we recognize that this is a profound moment to be working to address injustice and inequities and seeking to be in right relation with the First Peoples of this land. As multiple crises unfold, we know that it can be easy to be swept up in the noise and confusion of what it means for our day-to-day lives to be disrupted.
We encourage you to take care of yourselves, to stay healthy, nourished and connected in the ways that it is possible in this time. And we also encourage you to pay attention and stay engaged in this moment, as our friends and neighbors in Indian Country face a disproportionately larger threat from both the virus and the actions of authorities taken to undermine Indigenous sovereignty and land protectors while the public is preoccupied.
We will be organizing a virtual Gathering later this month, likely via Zoom. Please continue to watch this newsletter for more details as those plans are finalized.
Please continue reading for related news:
RESOURCES:
Immune & Respiratory Herbs: A Resource for Tribal Communities During Covid-19 - created by Elise Krohn, Valerie Segrest, Renee Davis, Rhonda Grantham, and Sofie Geist. Some of you may remember Rhonda Grantham and Sofie Geist from their work with Canoe Journey Herbalists, as they presented last year at one of our Gatherings. Please share this amazing resource with your community!
CALL TO ACTION: Protect Mashpee Wampanoag Sovereignty
On March 27th, the same day that the United States reached a record 100,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus, the Bureau of Indian Affairs notified the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe that the Secretary of the Interior was ordering their reservation to be disestablished and their land taken out of trust.
Click here to read article posted on Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe's website: Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Threatened with Land Disestablishment, Tribal Leaders Step in to Address Ongoing Land Issues and Threats to Sovereignty
Click here to read statement issued on March 27th by Mashpee Wampanoag Chairman: We Will Take Action to Prevent the Loss of Our Land
You can help! Click here to sign the petition - Land is Sacred: Stand With the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe
CALL TO ACTION: Protect Standing Rock Families from Power Shut-Offs
Even though 23 states throughout the country and most other utilities in South Dakota have suspended power shut-offs, the nearly all-white city council of McLaughlin, South Dakota, is continuing to shut off electricity and put Native people out of their homes in the midst of a health crisis. Click here to tell the McLaughlin City Council to protect our Native families and stop turning off the power during this pandemic.
IN THE NEWS: Covid-19 in Indian Country
Click here to read article published in The Washington Post: Indian Country, where residents suffer disproportionately from disease, is bracing for coronavirus
Click here to read Indian Country Today's Covid-19 Syllabus with data and story summaries related to Covid-19.
The Lummi Nation was recognized for their proactive approach to addressing the spread of covid-19 in our region and their community. Click here to read article published on March 18th in The Guardian: Native American tribe takes trailblazing steps to fight Covid-19 outbreak
Locally, the Squaxin Island and Nisqually Reservations are closed to all but residents.
There has been one Puyallup Tribal employee who has tested covid-19 positive. In a recent notice regarding the financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on their community, the Puyallup Tribal Council stated, "These are uncertain times. But make no mistake: We are in this together. We have been for generations. We will be for generations to come." Click here to read full notice.