Indigenous Communities Facing COVID-19
A gloved hand hold holidng a vial that says COVID-19 with the positive box checked.
The COVID-19 Pandemic has been affecting minority communities at a higher rate than the non-Hispanic white communities. The Indigenous communities in America are no exception to this. A recent study by the CDC says that Indigenous people are 3.5 times more likely to contract the Coronavirus than non-Hispanic white person. The source of these disparities between the number of cases of COVID-19 contracted by indigenous Americans compared to the rest of the country is strongly related to the current socio/economic situation that many Native American nations are currently facing; the result of years of injustice and trauma. Additionally, the inadequacy of healthcare infrastructure, as well as a distinct lack of funding, has put many indigenous nations at extreme risk to the Coronavirus. Certain methods of protecting yourself from the Coronavirus such as handwashing are difficult in communities where proper plumbing either isn't available or is difficult to access.
Economically, indigenous people are also in a dangerous situation when faced with the Coronavirus when looking at wealth disparities not affording them the same privilege of missing work or working from home. The current Native American economic situation, which is very poor, means that for many they are unable to afford additional preventative measures such as hand sanitizer or extra masks. The inability to afford missing days at work also adds additional stress to indigenous people, both health-wise and financially; also the lack of consistent or reliable internet connection also limits the nation's ability to work from home. The combination of a lack of infrastructure and poor economic conditions has lead to the current health crisis being faced by many Native American nations.
A sign restricting trafic during the COVID-19 pandemic.
How exactly have Indigenous nations been trying to fight back against this pandemic? Essentially they have been sealing off their nations to outsiders; everyone expects health officials, doctors, and nurses to help the experts already assisting the infected. while it does vary per indigenous nation, the infection rates amongst these nations have been growing at an enormous rate, at one point a ratio comparable to that of the general public in the United States. For instance, a study in November of 2020 on the Navajo Nation reserve, shows that out of they're almost 174 thousand population, over 16,000 members of the nation had tested positive with the Coronavirus with almost 700 deaths so far.
The fight against this pandemic has also not been helped by a lack of medical supplies, testing kits, and the proper protective gear needed to safely administer health services. The intervention of Governments has been needed to get the virus under control in many of these nations; help like funding for the creation of more infrastructure and more equipment. The main issue being the lack of testing kits limits the ability of these communities to properly contain the virus to a limited area; shortages have been reported and some have received no testing kits at all. The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians in Michigan for instance had only received two testing kits for their entire population to use.
Military personnel unloading a shipment wearing masks.
"Native people make up only around one-tenth of New Mexico’s population but more than 55 percent of its coronavirus cases....."
The pandemic has been striking Indigenous nations extremely hard, even at one point on the Navajo reservation, reaching infection rates that outnumber New York's and even Wuhan's. The current neglect indigenous Americans are facing by their government is unsustainable and unacceptable and one of many reasons that the infection rates in these communities are so high.
A gloved hand holding an N-95 mask and stethoscope.
One study found that COVID-19 cases were more likely to happen in homes with a lack of functioning plumbing, unfortunately, that means extremely poor nations in communities without large economic infrastructures such as casinos or other large pre-existing sources of income are at the biggest risk while living in subpar housing. Indigenous communities are 3.7 times more likely to lack any kind of indoor plumbing which includes: Flushing toilet, functional Sink, or shower. The inability to continuously wash your hands or take clean showers allows for further transmission of the coronavirus on top of the pre-existing health concerns that a lack of plumbing entails.
Another major problem facing indigenous nations is the inability or struggle to protect the elderly members of the community. Unlike the traditional family format of the "nuclear family", most families are live very in very close proximity to each other (sometimes within the same house) because of the small size of reservations; meaning limited contact with the elderly is very difficult. The elderly on reservations are extremely important to the culture of indigenous nations because it is from them that traditions and language are passed down; the loss of whom would do irreversible damage.
The presence of chronic diseases such as diabetes is rampant in indigenous communities. The presence of Diabetes in native communities is around 16% of the total population, the highest rate compared to any other ethnic group in North America. That means native Americans are more likely to face the lethal side to the coronavirus. So this is a "perfect storm" for the pandemic to have devastating effects on the indigenous nations, without direct intervention by governments and increased funding and equipment supplements.
A person wearing a tshirt protesting racism during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This pandemic has also arrived at a time in history when a lot of social injustices are being addressed by the general public including the Black and Indigenous lives matter protests began held in Canada. For a long time the separation of indigenous people from the general public, because of the reservation system, means that a lot of indigenous American issues can be easily ignored by most people. The pandemic has made everyone hyper-alert to issues being faced by marginalized communities as they all struggle with both the health crisis and the socio/economic problems that they have been dealing with for years. Despite the current darkness the world currently finds itself in, there is hope on the horizon for both the Political and health crisis. A light being shown onto the current situation of minority groups will hopefully lead to lasting change for the future.
1. “CDC Data Show Disproportionate COVID-19 Impact in American Indian/Alaska Native Populations.” CDC.Gov, August 19, 2020. United States Government. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2020/p0819-covid-19-impact-american-i....
2. Hilleary, Cecily. “Native American Tribes Face Critical Shortages of COVID-19 Test Kits, Protective Gear .” Voice of America, March 21, 2020. https://www.voanews.com/science-health/coronavirus-outbreak/native-ameri....
3.Akee, Randall. “How COVID-19 Is Impacting Indigenous Peoples in the U.S.” PBS. Public Broadcasting Service, May 13, 2020. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/how-covid-19-is-impacting-indigenous....
4.Smith, Timothy. “Why COVID-19 Is Decimating Some Native American Communities.” American Medical Association, May 13, 2020. https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/population-care/why-covid-19-de....
5.Jordan, Allison, Sahir Doshi, and Kate Kelly. “The COVID-19 Response in Indian Country.” Center for American Progress, June 18, 2020. https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/reports/2020/06/18/486480/....
6. McLaughlin, Sue. “Traditions and Diabetes Prevention: A Healthy Path for Native Americans.” Diabetes Spectrum. American Diabetes Association, October 2, 2010. https://spectrum.diabetesjournals.org/content/23/4/272.