COVID-19 Daily News Digest – August 4, 2020
Marginalized Edmontonians in need of masks, advocates say
He said many families can’t afford the additional expense of buying masks or the $100 ticket for not wearing one, on top of the economic hardship of the pandemic.
“A lot of people lost their jobs. They are struggling to make ends meet,” Ibrahim said.
Paddler’s journey to share Indigenous priorities nears end
He set off July 5 from the former Camp Ipperwash, part of the Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point First Nation, where his father lives. He paddled up to the Chippewas of Saugeen First Nation where his mother lives, then around the Bruce Peninsula.
The awareness campaign is part of activities involved with his acceptance of a $100,000 NDN Changemaker Fellowship, 21 of which are offered to applicants across North America annually from the NDN Collective in South Dakota.
‘We have been vindicated’: Oneida Nation celebrates victory in long-running sovereignty case
“Although we have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, we are now more confident in how we govern our affairs without the threat of Hobart’s continued litigation,” Hill added, referring to the local government that has repeatedly tried — and failed — to undermine the tribe’s reservation.
https://www.indianz.com/News/2020/08/03/we-have-been-vindicated-oneida-nation-ce.asp
Uluru national park closed after traditional owners block tourists amid coronavirus fears
Parks Australia said it would work with the communities towards a resolution.
“Parks Australia is committed to minimising the risk of COVID-19 to staff, visitors and residents within the Mutitjulu and Yulara communities and at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park,” the authority said.
Coup government in Bolivia distorts national health reality
However, the opinions of the coup leader lack the support of medical and nursing staff, political, social and trade sectors which agree that the arrival of the Covid-19 put on the table the ineffectiveness of the de facto government.
According to reports in social networks, the health system lacks the necessary specialists, equipment and supplies for biosecurity, government support at different levels, and has a collapsed hospital floor despite constant complaints from workers in the area.
Sen. Murray Sinclair joins legal firm to mentor lawyers in Indigenous law
The former chief commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, who was also the first Indigenous judge appointed in Manitoba, is joining Cochrane Saxberg LLP, Manitoba’s largest Indigenous law firm. Sinclair, 69, said that after spending the last several months at home in Winnipeg during the pandemic-imposed lockdown, he was reflecting more and more on the law and the ways in which it is shifting in Canada around Indigenous issues.
Tiny homes project adds housing on reserve
“We’ve seen a greater demand for single, low-occupancy units and the Tiny Homes initiative will provide the community with greater flexibility in addressing its housing needs – including concerns of overcrowding – as we continue to follow Public Health recommendations during COVID-19,” said Hill.
Navajo Nation sees flatter curve at the end of the coronavirus tunnel
With more than 9,000 positive cases of COVID-19, the reservation reported the highest coronavirus infection rate per capita in the country in May, but is now showing signs of flattening the curve. An estimated 6,585 individuals have recovered from COVID-19, according to local reports, and the number of new cases reported in one day has been steadily declining.
Petroperú says indigenous protesters demanding COVID treatment halt pipeline station output
Production was affected when the indigenous protesters entered the station on Sunday night in the Amazonian region of Marañón, the company said in a statement. The incident came on the heels of a three-month suspension to production activities as part of the country’s mandatory lockdown coronavirus period.
The indigenous protesters had several social equality demands, including health and medicine centers to deal with COVID-19, the company said. Peru has more than 428,850 infections, the third highest rate in Latin America, according to government data.
Chasing COVID-19 in the Brazilian Amazon: A story of fear, and of hope
“We hear that the pandemic is over in Amazonas state and that it was just a matter of waiting to achieve ‘herd immunity’,” says Flores, the MSF medical coordinator. “This idea is absurd because it ignores that with a greater number of infected people we are also talking about a greater number of deaths. We saw the health system collapse and the enormous cost for the population of not having a timely response that could control the spread of the disease.”
https://reliefweb.int/report/brazil/chasing-covid-19-brazilian-amazon-story-fear-and-hope
Material Kwe: Lac Des Milles Lacs artist brings powerful series to Indigenous fashion showcase
“Kwe in Anishinabemowin is slang for woman. And Material Kwe presents five different wearable art ensembles that are meant to refashion or rematerialize more respectful relations in our communities, that really privilege the strength and resilience of Indigenous women.” The series pushes back against colonialism, and draws attention to the often overlooked stories of Indigenous women, and their roles in “defending the land, their kin, and making important contributions to their community.”
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/indigenous-fashion-week-toronto-1.5670482
Indigenous Youth Camp Shifts Online Amid Pandemic
“We didn’t want COVID to be the limiting factor; that a pandemic would the reason for them not to learn about their culture, not to learn about science and how those two go together,” said Duffin. “And really, it shouldn’t be the reason — because with technology, we’re able to bring people together.”
The camp is being held even though the youths will be in their home communities the whole time. They will be engaging in activities and sitting in on educational workshops via Zoom, an online video conferencing program that has grown in use throughout this pandemic.