The Coronavirus and Native Americans

Written by: Schuyler Chadsey

Photo retrieved from: https://www.sltrib.com/news/2020/04/19/navajo-nation-has-higher/

The impact of the Novel Coronavirus, COVID-19, is one that we can see all around us. Our lives, as we know them, may never be the same again. Every day we hear or read the latest updates on how to keep ourselves safe, new restrictions on our daily lives, and the latest death toll. We cannot escape the news, but there are some Americans that are being left in the dark and left behind.

While Americans are being urged to gather weeks' worth of groceries, self-isolate and wash hands several times a day, for many Native Americans, these recommendations are not realistic. Additionally, these so called “Public Service Announcements” are not always dispersed in a language that indigenous people can understand or in manners that all people have access to (Juárez López, 2020). Many times, the information provided is often not current (Juárez López, 2020). Reservation life can be very overcrowded, and many Native Americans live in multigenerational households as part of their culture, meaning family members ranging from infants to elders all live together (Juárez López, 2020). Self-isolating is not an option for many of these communities. Additionally, 35-40% of the homes in the Navajo Nation do not have running water, making it difficult to wash hands constantly (Schultz, 2020). It is also important to note that many reservations have a poverty rate as high as 40%, leading to food insecurity (Schultz, 2020). It is quite clear from a socioeconomic stand point, these communities are already at a higher risk of contracting and spreading the coronavirus among members.

When you analyze the statistics of who is contracting and succumbing to COVID-19, they are not young and healthy people, they are people in their 50s or 60s (and older) who have a series of comorbidities such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes or respiratory illnesses. In indigenous communities, hypertension and heart disease are very common, and certain traditional ways of life, including cooking over an open fire, make Native Americans vulnerable to respiratory disease (Juárez López, 2020).  According to Schultz (2020), Native Americans are twice as likely as white Americans to have diabetes, and they die at a rate 189% higher than any other American from diabetes. In a nation where diabetes tends to be a fairly manageable and preventable illness, it is alarming that so many Native Americans are dying due to lack of quality health care access. Speaking of which, over 28% of Native Americans under the age of 65, do not have health care coverage and access to health care is usually many miles away. (Schultz, 2020).

Another serious effect of Covid-19 on many Native American groups throughout the United States is the shutting down of the few businesses they own and operate, in order to prevent the spread of the virus. Many Native American communities do not have many opportunities for employment without commuting great distances, and many communities rely on large scenic hotels and casinos. Without these businesses many Native American communities may experience extremely serious economic hardship. Times are hard for everyone right now, but generally if you live in a city there is still opportunity for employment in some form, whether that be a restaurant, food delivery service, warehouse, or Uber/Lyft. Even if you cannot find work within mainstream American there is still the opportunity to take advantage of social services such as unemployment benefits that may not be as accessible to Native American communities. Economic disaster is extremely dangerous and will certainly take casualties of its own, especially in poorer Native American communities.

Interestingly, the Navajo Area Indian Health Service has been conducting coronavirus tests at a much higher rate than any state in the Southwest. “As of Saturday, 2,579 total tests had been conducted for every 100,000 residents of the Navajo Nation. Arizona as a whole, by contrast, was testing at about a quarter of that rate with 676 tests per 100,000 people.” (Podmore, 2020). Despite the general lack of access to quality health care in Native American communities they are still doing a better job at testing than the United States at large. I believe this speaks volumes to the importance of community engagement within many Native American communities. In mainstream America sense of community is many times difficult to find as our society becomes more and more individualistic.

Throughout much of American history our government has failed to treat Native Americans with the respect they deserve, and in many cases has forgotten about them entirely. The variety of culture and tradition they hold dear have very real implications for a complicated situation such as Covid-19. They are doing an excellent job at dealing with the problem in any way they can, and hopefully the United States government will not overlook them during these trying times.

Sources:

Juárez López, B. M. (2020, April 6). Indigenous Communities Adjust to the New Normal During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Retrieved April 22, 2020, from https://www.culturalsurvival.org/news/indigenous-communities-adjust-new-normal-during-covid-19-pandemic

Schultz, H. A. (2020, March 31). Native American Communities And COVID-19: How Foundations Can Help. Retrieved April 22, 2020, from https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hblog20200331.659944/full/

Podmore, Zak. (2020, April 19). Navajo Nation has a higher coronavirus testing rate than Utah and most states. Retrieved April 22, 2020, from https://www.sltrib.com/news/2020/04/19/navajo-nation-has-higher/