COVID-19 Daily News Digest – June 17, 2020
Fracking and COVID-19 Threaten Navajo and Pueblo People in New Mexico
“To a non-indigenous person, they [are] ruins. But to an indigenous Pueblo person, they’re still active sites that are used in spiritual ways,” Julia Bernal, the environmental justice director at the Pueblo Action Alliance, told The Guardian. “The fight has constantly been, ‘These are sacred sites.’ But the non-Indigenous power is like, ‘Well prove to us these are sacred sites.’ How can we prove that when it’s our beliefs?”
Council approves additional funding allocations for homelessness initiatives
The second set of allocations endorsed by city council relate to OSSI programs where permanent supportive housing, intensive case management, rapid rehousing, transitional youth housing, coordinated entry, youth coordinated entry, and Indigenous coordinated entry will all see government top-ups and or carry-overs totaling $615,193 in extra funding.
2 more COVID-19 cases in Eabametoong First Nation, chief worried about possible outbreak
Dr. John Guilfoyle, the authority’s public health physician, said in an emailed statement that Eabametoong is facing a “cluster” of cases and that there is evidence of in-community transmission.
Eabametoong now has recorded a total of four COVID-19 cases. The first case, in early April, was a band councillor who appeared to have been infected in Thunder Bay and has since recovered.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/eabametoong-2-more-covid-19-cases-1.5613947
Health emergencies in Indigenous communities in Canada: Then and now
They must remember the past experiences, both historical and recent, that Indigenous communities have with pandemics, and the social injustices that surrounded them. It will help support the resilience of Indigenous communities as they confront health crises, now and in the future.
Indigenous Leaders Outraged As Trans Mountain Pipeline Spills 50,000 Gallons Of Crude Oil
“The proposed Trans Mountain expansion route would see an additional pipeline crossing one of our sacred sites, Lightning Rock, at two spots,” said Silver. “We will do absolutely everything we can to prevent this from happening—an oil spill at Lighting Rock would be horrific for our people.”
National Indigenous History Month: Simple and personal acts of reconciliation
June is National Indigenous History Month. CBC Quebec invites you to mark the month by checking out Indigenous language podcasts, watching award-winning video documentaries and checking out books by First Nations, Métis and Inuit authors.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/nihm-personal-acts-reconciliation-1.5613737
Rainy River First Nations report positive COVID-19 case
A member of a northwestern Ontario Indigenous community has tested positive for COVID-19.
The individual is a member of Rainy River First Nations, the community said in a statement posted online.
Powwows moving online during pandemic at First Nations in the Peterborough area
The virtual powwow won’t be an actual live feed of dancers at their respective place, but rather participants can submit a video and tag their events.
“There will be a cultural aspect as well. We have elders who will join in,” Stewart said.
“We are doing the best we can and we are excited to try.”
COVID-19: Equity and ethics in a pandemic: Indigenous perspectives
The pandemic raises a number of significant issues relating to equity, equality and ethical decision making with many valuable lessons to be learnt along the way. We have already witnessed the quick action of many of our Indigenous organisations to support, educate and protect our Indigenous communities. Imagine what could be achieved if these issues of equity, ethical decision making, power sharing and funding were shared equally along with support for self-determination for Indigenous communities.
COVID-19: The need to boost digital literacy in Indigenous communities
Technology could be the connecting platform, better yet, the best frontline of defence against future pandemics due to the potential of telehealth, instant distribution of health information and the ability to remain ‘connected’ to others and work while in isolation.
But COVID-19 has highlighted we’ve got a long way to go – and we have a chance to act now, before history repeats itself again.
http://www.news.uwa.edu.au/2020061712161/covid-19/covid-19-indigenous-perspectives
Location, Location, Location: How CBC Isn’t Helping With COVID-19
The CBC has failed to uphold Canadian interests, neglecting early regional concerns regarding COVID-19 and engaging in inflammatory coverage of opposing sources. The CBC says they promote local sources, and yet they have withdrawn their funding of regional broadcasts. To the CRTC, they promise to highlight and support Canadian content, and yet they have silenced journalists’ voices. If Canada wants to bounce back from the pandemic, the CBC must endeavour to keep its viewers informed. COVID-19 is not simply a federal or metropolitan issue, and must be addressed by the CBC the same way that Canadians have responded: with integrity
She walked hundreds of miles with her daughters to the Amazon to escape Covid-19
“What would happen if an infected person comes in? How do we escape?” one of the local Ashaninka leaders told us. “The only respirator we have is the air. Our health center does not have anything to combat the virus.”
https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/17/americas/peru-coronavirus-walk-home-intl/index.html
Managing mental wellness in the workplace and COVID-19: An Indigenous perspective – Part 1
“When we can assess ourselves, it allows us to think about what we need to do to manage those signs of stress. We need to be our own temperature gauge about how we’re managing so we can think about promoting wellness within ourselves and the organization and the communities we’re servicing.”
Bland: How 10 small Cree communities have led Quebec’s COVID-19 response
Cree leaders also understood how important it was to engage their Nation’s young people. Like other First Nations across the country, Cree reserves are fast-growing communities of young people. And while it is the elderly who are the most vulnerable and in need of protection, if and when community transmission does occur, it will most likely be a Cree teenager or 20-something who unwittingly passes the virus on to a community Elder. They needed to be informed quickly and in ways familiar to them.
Home > covid 19 > Demand for indigenous vegetables soar as residents grapple with Covid- 19 economic shocks
Demand For Indigenous Vegetables Soar As Residents Grapple With Covid- 19 Economic Shocks
Jane Mureithi, vegetable vendor at the Afraha Open air market noted that though the African Indigenous Vegetables were plentiful in the wild from open fields, homesteads and forests, there was need for research agencies, local universities and seed companies to multiply and distribute high quality planting material as the crops were reputed as being high yielding, disease and drought tolerant and have high nutritional value.