COVID-19 Blog Posts

A new bill announced today by the co-chairs of the Congressional Native American Caucus would give tribes emergency authority of broadband spectrum over their lands, in an effort to greatly increase internet access for tribal nations grappling with COVID-19 pandemic response. 

“Broadband has been an issue…in Indian Country, for a very long time,” Haaland said in an interview with The NM Political Report. “The pandemic has pulled back the blanket and the sun is illuminating these disparities.” She added that internet access should be viewed as a basic necessity, like home electricity. 

“Tribal Nations have been hit hard during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the lack of robust broadband networks has only...

Image Credit: Pueblo of Pojoaque website

As the world grapples with the realities of living in a new normal, tribal governments are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic with agile governance and innovative management practices in ways that often pay homage to centuries of wisdom and cultural teachings. 

The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) hosted a panel discussion April 30, titled “NCAI Forum: Tribal Governments in Action,” to ask leaders what their tribe is doing to provide government services in response to COVID-19. 

“The strategic approach we took was based on [our] cultural values,” said Yurok Tribe Chairman Joe James. He said the tribe viewed their proactive approach to crisis management “from a village...

Tribal governments throughout Indian Country continue to generously donate supplies and resources to aid their communities through the challenges presented by COVID-19. Today, we are happy to bring you many examples of this generosity in the face of adversity. If you would like to join donation efforts, more opportunities to contribute are included below. 

Since schools in North Dakota were closed on March 16, the Standing Rock district has been distributing sack lunches to students and families at the schools or delivering them through the neighborhoods in school buses. Last Friday, The Muscogee (Creek) Nation partnered with Walmart to offer emergency food assistance to any citizens in...

The CARES Act authorized direct payments—called Economic Impact Payments—to American citizens to aid economic recovery in response to COVID-19, but many are wondering if they qualify for a stimulus payment, how much they will receive, and how they will receive the payment. For additional questions, click here. 

Who is eligible for an Economic Impact Payment? 

Individuals with a social security number who have filed income taxes for 2018 or 2019 are eligible, as well as some individuals who are not normally required to file income taxes, such as many social security recipients. The Department of Treasury is working with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to determine individuals’ eligibility for Economic Income...