COVID-19 Blog Posts

Indian Country has been disproportionately affected by COVID-19, largely due to existing inequities exacerbated by the pandemic. Inadequate healthcare, a lack of housing, and underdeveloped infrastructure increased the severity of COVID-19 in Tribal communities. This resulted in an infection rate four times higher, and tragically, mortality rates twice that of other populations. The pandemic’s disproportionate impact emphasizes the importance of addressing underlying systemic inequality as the threat of COVID-19 slowly dissipates and we attempt a return to a ‘new normal’.  

Despite the pandemic’s severity, Indian Country has risen to meet every challenge head-on. Over the past year, Tribal Nations worked tirelessly to efficiently utilize available resources and find innovative ways to...

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...