COVID-19 not going away – Minnesota workers told to work from home until June
By Lee Egerstrom Minnesota recorded 35 new deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic on Oct 20, the highest daily death count since May 28 and a day after Minnesota state officials told state employees to “work from home if you can” until June next year. This guidance for state employees came as families must make plans […]
Minnesota eases COVID-19 restrictions for visiting elders in assisted living, senior care homes
By Lee Egerstrom With cold weather fast approaching, and after months of isolation for many elders throughout the state, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has issued new guidance for allowing families to visit loved ones in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and others being assisted by home care providers. The new guidance and restrictions […]
Activist wants to prevent Wall of Forgotten Natives
By Eddie Chuculate Outreach worker Jase Roe is determined to prevent a Native American homeless camp from exploding into one similar to 2018 that grew to over 300 people, garnered national attention and was dubbed “The Wall of Forgotten Natives.” Although located on the same state-owned property, this fall’s “Wall” is strictly about getting Natives […]
Language Revitilization During the Covid-19 Pandemic
By Brad Hagen Language revitalization is widely recognized as an essential aspect of strengthening Native nations across Turtle Island. For some, there are more immediate matters like health care and housing to worry about while for others, language is central to healing our communities. For Randy Gresczyk, language revitalization is both his passion and profession. […]
Minnesota passes COVID-19 milestones; precautions are still best line of defense
By Lee Egerstrom As Minnesota was crossing milestones for both confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths this past week, a federal and state research project looking at how the COVID-19 virus is spread in different communities came to a screeching halt. Screeching is the appropriate description. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) called off […]
COVID-19 is all around us; travel is still a risk
By Lee Egerstrom Health officials are worried that the COVID-19 pandemic is picking up speed as the fall season arrives with 28 states now reporting increased cases of infections. Minnesota is surrounded by “hot” states where cases are on the rise. Just as spring brought the risk of summer travels spreading the virus, fall can […]
A quick community-based COVID-19 Public Health Survey is coming your way
By Lee Egerstrom The Minnesota Department of Health has launched a deeper look at how COVID-19 is impacting different communities in Minnesota to give health professionals, state and local officials, and citizens themselves better understanding of how the pandemic is affecting them. Equally important, it will give all involved guidance on what policies may be […]
Minnesota guidance for re-opening, starting businesses to counter Native unemployment
By Lee Egerstrom There has been a partial recovery from the massive unemployment that followed the closing of businesses and industries this spring when the COVID-19 pandemic hit Minnesota and most of the country. That is only modest good news. Native Americans are still disproportionately jobless. These are findings by researchers at the Federal Reserve […]
Minnesota food shelves, already busy, brace for bigger demand
By Nina Moini / MRP News The COVID-19 pandemic has created huge demand for free or reduced-cost food across the state as Minnesotans have lost jobs and children missed out on school lunches. Food shelves anticipate even more people will rely on them to get enough to eat. On July 21, Biantu Sheriff looked over […]
Often overlooked impacts of COVID-19: mental health stress, anxiety and fear
By Lee Egerstrom Minnesota health officials, the Mayo Clinic, and experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are voicing concern about how the novel coronavirus pandemic may be playing with your mind. Staff at the Mayor Clinic in Rochester put it this way: “The COVID-19 pandemic has likely brought many changes to […]
Food left on table: 150,000 eligible Minn. families missing out on $325 for pandemic food benefit as deadline nears
By Eddie Chuculate As the coronavirus has broken United States food-supply chains, and grocery stores in Minneapolis closed or disrupted due to rioting, free groceries offered by the state are being left on the table. The deadline to receive a one-time $325 Pandemic Electronic Benefit Grant, known as a P-EBT, is July 31. Families in […]
Native schools in Minneapolis prepare to open during pandemic, bemoan online learning hassle
By Eddie Chuculate Although American Indian schools in Minneapolis are awaiting a state mandate on reopening this fall amid the coronavirus pandemic, a consensus is that distance learning will continue in some form – at least initially. Minn. Gov. Tim Walz is expected to announce measures in late July that will have schools either reopening […]