COVID-19: Seeking Help for Underprovided Native American Communities Within the U.S.


Written by: Gurpartap Singh


Navajo silversmith with examples of his work and tools. Photographed by Ben Wittick, ca. 1880. National Archives Identifier: 518913

With the COVID-19 pandemic spread throughout all corners of the world and affecting normal life as we know it, there has been an extreme increase in precautionary measures for each and every country, state, and community. However, with everyone doing their part in helping others—wither that be by physical distancing or making face masks for medical staff—there are still many communities in the United States which are being underprovided for. One such people are the Native Americans of North America. Not only have they been greatly affected in the past by disease, but the health of Native Americans has always been at risk in the contemporary when compared to other groups. Furthermore, with this recent outbreak, Natives are concerned about the well being of their people which, they say, is not rightfully being accommodated for by the U.S government.
           
            The issue of Natives being struck by disease and pandemic is not something new. In a timeline outlined by Native Voices, an organization and exhibit under the National Library of Medicine which looks at health concepts in light of Native Americans, they state that “...in November[of 1919] at the Iñupiat village of Brevig Mission, Alaska, 72 of the 80 Iñupiat residents die[d] of Spanish Influenza in five days”, and that “Some communities lost almost all of their residents”("Spanish")—an outbreak which Natives say they never recovered from. Furthermore, to look for examples in the contemporary, the National Congress of Indians outlines in their Indian country demographics page that there is an increased likelihood for Natives being prone to diseases such as the COVID-19 with their underlying health conditions. Their research finds that Native Americans are 600 times more likely to die from tuberculosis and at a 189 times higher risk to pass away due to diabetes than the average American("Demographics")—these statistics and underlying health conditions bolster more reason to give aid to such communities in this pandemic who are already struggling with prior serious medical conditions.

But how are Native communities being affected by the coronavirus now? In an interview with CNN, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan of Minnesota says that the main issue being faced with minority communities right now is that 60,000 indigenous people in her state don’t have access to “...testing kits, personal protective equipment for health care workers and supplies to fight the virus and contain the spread”(Fox and Kaufman). Furthermore, 70 percent of Minnesota’s s Native population, which consists of 11 tribes, lives in urban areas that already have little access to a supply of electricity and water. Lauren Fox and Ellie Kaufman, of CNN, also reports that “Navajo Nation has been the hardest hit native American community in the US...with the third highest infection rate per capita after New York and New Jersey”(Fox and Kaufman). This culmination of prior serious health illnesses, and current lack of supplies, puts Native American communities at a high vulnerability for COVID-19.

Although there has been a response by the United States government to help such communities, it’s not been substantial in making a difference. To start, it’s important to note that it is the duty of the U.S. government to provide for such groups that are now being underprovided for. In a basic fact sheet made by the Indian Health Service, a federal health program for American Indians and Alaskan Indians, the federal organization states that “the federal obligation to provide health care to American Indians and Alaska Natives is important when designing health care programs, developing federal budgets, coordinating with other agencies, and obtaining regulation waivers for selected Indian programs”("Basis"). They also look to acts, such as the Snyder Act of 1921(25 USC 13) and the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, to bolster their rightful standings on how its the U.S. government’s obligation to provide health necessities when needed. However, it is important to add that such obligations have been met to a certain degree. Chiara Sottile and Erik Ortiz of NBC news have stated in a recent article that, in light of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, “legislation provides $8 billion for Native American and Alaska Native tribes”(Sottile and Ortiz), however, they also mention that “...the National Congress of American Indians, a public education and advocacy group, estimated that tribes would need $20 billion”. and it’s easy to see why, when looking at these communities in the minority.

            In all, it is paramount to understand that Native Americans have not only been heavily 
affected in the past by disease and pandemic, but they are greatly being affected by disease now as well. With an increase in the likelihood of life-threatening diseases such as tuberculosis and diabetes, being contaminated by COVID-19 would only make the outcome of the pandemic worse and show an increase of deaths within the Native American population. The U.S. government has held up to their promise in aid, however, these efforts aren’t sufficient in helpings Natives because of their already underlying health problems and current living conditions—with most communities not having the proper supplies to detect or care for those struck with the disease. In order to help solve this issue, government officials and policymakers should be proactive in providing medical necessities to help flatten the curve in underprovided Native American communities. 


Sources:

“Basis for Health Services: Fact Sheets.” Indian Health Service, www.ihs.gov/newsroom/factsheets/basisforhealthservices/.
“Demographics.” NCAI, www.ncai.org/about-tribes/demographics.
Fox, Lauren, and Ellie Kaufman. “Amid Coronavirus, Tribes Say They Aren't Getting Help They Need from Federal Government.” CNN, Cable News Network, 18 Apr. 2020, www.cnn.com/2020/04/17/politics/tribes-coronavirus-aid-federal-government/index.html.
Sottile, Chiara, and Erik Ortiz. “Coronavirus Hits Indian Country Hard, Exposing Infrastructure Disparities.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 20 Apr. 2020, www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/coronavirus-hits-indian-country-hard-exposing-infrastructure-disparities-n1186976.
“'Spanish Influenza' Claims Millions of Lives - Timeline - Native Voices.” U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, www.nlm.nih.gov/nativevoices/timeline/420.html.

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