COVID-19 Daily News Digest – June 27, 2020
B.C. travellers asked to ‘call ahead’ before trips as First Nations communities may stay closed
“So check ahead if you are going, especially if it’s a small community. Many of them are actually quite anxious and looking forward to welcoming visitors, so we have to take it upon ourselves to make sure we use our travel manners that we’ve all learned. The things we are doing at home, we need to take with us when we are travelling.”
As COVID spikes, Blackfeet leaders close eastern entrances to Glacier for summer
The Blackfeet Reservation borders the east side of the park. The tribe’s Business Council passed an ordinance on Thursday closing the entrances, saying the move was necessary to protect residents of the reservation — where tribal citizens suffer from higher rates of existing health conditions that put them at higher risk of serious complications of COVID-19 — as case numbers continue their recent rise statewide
Only 16 per cent of participants pass quiz on prominent racialized, Indigenous Canadians
The poll found survey participants generally knew the least about figures from Indigenous or other racialized backgrounds, with the exception of civil rights crusader Viola Desmond.
Less than six per cent of respondents recognized figures such as Indigenous filmmakers and human rights activists, or the first RCMP officer to wear a turban.
B.C. First Nations communities faring better than average in the fight against COVID-19
Despite that success, many Indigenous leaders and communities are expressing concerns about the speed of Phase 3 reopening and what they say is a lack of consultation. Brad MacLeod reports.
Restrictions on northern Manitoba travel removed, 2 new COVID-19 cases announced
The restrictions initially barred any non-essential travel north of the 53rd parallel and into remote communities with no summer road access.
Anyone travelling into northern Manitoba must still respect restrictions put in place by local communities and First Nations, the province said in a news release Friday.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-covid-19-update-1.5628904
First Nations in B.C. fighting Rio Tinto to save Nechako River and fishery
Excess power would be sold back to the B.C. government at a discounted rate.
Neither the government nor Alcan consulted with local First Nation communities.
“With respects, this represents the beginning of the destruction of our territory and really our way of life,” said Patrick. “Prior to that I was eight years old or six when it was being discussed. I remember listening to the elders of the time, who would have been born in the 1800’s.
Indigenous leaders say they should have been consulted before B.C. government eased pandemic restrictions
Indigenous leaders say the B.C. government did not consult them before easing COVID-19 restrictions earlier this week, despite the province having an obligation to seek input from First Nations under the United Nations Declaration for the Rights of Indigenous people.
The leaders of the Tsilhqot’in National Government, Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council and Haíɫzaqv (Heiltsuk) Nation have written a joint letter to the provincial government to express disappointment with its decision to move to Phase 3 of its pandemic response
Meet the Inuk artist behind Twitter’s Indigenous month emoji
Aija Komangapik, an Inuk artist based in Quebec, designed Twitter’s Indigenous emoji this month. This is the third year that Twitter has hired an Indigenous artist to create a themed emoji for the month of June, and the first year an Inuk emoji is being featured.
Spotlight Artist: Scott Darlow shares his message on the importance of First Nations education
“The history lesson that I give during my presentations helps join the dots, and helps audiences to understand why we now live in a country that sees First Nation men die a decade younger than everyone else, why our Indigenous kids are ten times more likely to go to prison than to finish school, and why we don’t see nearly enough First Nation people finishing school or going to uni.
“It completely helps explain why the gap isn’t closing – and that understanding leads to empathy.”