COVID-19 puts powwow season on pause — and online
By Dan Gunderson/MPR News When Labor Day weekend rolls around this year, Brenda Child (Red Lake Ojibwe) will miss an event that’s been a part of her life for as long as she can remember. She lives most of the year in the Twin Cities now – she’s a professor at the University of Minnesota […]
Two Native Orgs doing their part by providing Covid-19 tests to Tribal Nations
By Hannah Broadbent As of June 28th, 30.4. million Covid-19 tests have been given across the country. Labs all over the U.S. are backlogged trying to get results to worried citizens as soon as possible, some test results have same-day turn around times, while most test results can take up to a week. The Indigenous […]
Strong partnerships key for Natives in coronavirus pandemic
By Eddie Chuculate Although tribes in Minnesota are in control of their own health infrastructure, a good relationship with the state is crucial, said Antony Stately, executive officer of the Native American Community Clinic (NACC) in Minneapolis. “In Minnesota we have a good relationship with the state and we’ve worked hard to carve it out,” […]
Telemedicine is a stopgap for COVID-19 pandemic, not a cure all
By Lee Egerstrom Self-distancing, Stay Home Minnesota precautions, people just being careful, and greater use of telemedicine communications with health professionals to avoid COVID-19 are starting to raise more awareness of inequities in health care delivery. A flurry of national news media attention has noted that people with limited or no English language capabilities or […]
MN SNAP and Culture and Faith Covid-19 Update
By Hannah Broadbent Little by little every week, pieces of regular life are coming back due to the Stay Safe Order, the newest phase in the Covid-19 Pandemic plan by the State of Minnesota. In the last half of May, gatherings of 10 people could meet outside. In late May restaurants were allowed to open […]
How to minister to a congregation amidst a pandemic? “Zoom it.”
By Lee Egerstrom The Rev. Marlene Whiterabbit Helgemo and members of the All Nations Indian Church in south Minneapolis are finding crafty, high-tech ways to stay connected and comfort one another while the COVID-19 pandemic keeps them physically apart. “We’re getting good at ‘Zooming’,” Helgemo said. “We Zoom it.” In the two-plus months since churches […]
MN Native communities coping, not conquering, COVID-19 outbreak
By Lee Egerstrom Quick responses to the coronavirus health threat to Native Americans in both tribal and urban Minnesota communities appear to be holding the spread of illness in check, but health officials still see Native communities as highly vulnerable. “This isn’t over,” said Mike Goze, chief executive of the American Indian Community Development Corp. […]
Social distancing saves lives while pulling tribes down together
By Lee Egerstrom Tribal economies, health care systems and governments are disproportionately harmed by preventive measures such as social distancing that have closed hospitality and service industries that are the backbone of tribal economies, a new survey study shows. The Center for Indian Country Development (CICD) at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis surveyed tribal […]
Tribes and nearby communities take huge hits from COVID-19 casino shutdowns
By Lee Egerstrom A pair of new economic studies show tribes in Minnesota and throughout the country are facing billions of dollars in lost revenues needed for the health and welfare of their tribal citizens. And for nearby communities as well. All tribal gaming and hospitality industry facilities were closed in late March and early […]