COVID-19 Daily News Digest – May 5, 2020
Saskatchewan defends COVID 19 checkpoints following criticism from Indigenous group
Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) Chief Bobby Cameron says in a news release that the province was quick to take over local checkpoints, but his group is now getting calls that officers are stopping northerners from travelling south to get groceries.
Beauval Mayor Nick Daigneault says in the release that he was assured by the government that community members would be allowed to travel for groceries after their only grocery store was closed due to COVID-19.
Brazilian Indigenous Communities Under Threat Of Extinction Due To COVID-19
Many indigenous communities are using traditional knowledge and practices such as voluntary isolation, and sealing off their territories, to try and stop the spread of COVID-19. However, they can do little to stop the illegal loggers, miners, hunters and evangelical missionaries still invading their territories and transmitting disease.
COVID-19 data on Indigenous Manitobans kept secret
“We haven’t been reporting on that as of yet. We’re going to still work with our Indigenous partners on how and when we might disclose those type of things,” Manitoba’s top public-health doctor said Monday.
“I think we have to be as transparent as possible — as a community, as a province and as a nation — about who is getting tested and what percentage, if any, is impacting First Nations
Support for Indigenous governance
“COVID-19 will have an impact on their taxpayers, raising questions of whether to extend deadlines for tax payments, even though this too would raise non-compliance issues. These issues are significant for many communities and should quickly and appropriately be addressed by the First Nations Tax Commission and First Nations Financial Management Board.”
COVID-19 assessment clinic opened by Kettle and Stony Point First Nation
“The sooner you know that you are positive or negative, the sooner you can change how you’re going about your daily activities, and the sooner health professionals can start doing contact tracing and help to limit the spread of the virus,” Henry said Monday.
Nunavut’s 1st Reported COVID-19 Case Was A False Positive
Huge relief,” said David Stockley, the hamlet’s chief administrative officer.
“It answered a lot of prayers for a lot of people.”
Last Thursday, the territory reported what it thought was its first case of infection — a person in the hamlet of about 1,600 on the northern tip of Baffin Island.
https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/nunavut-coronavirus-false-positive_ca_5eb0920dc5b62b850f90c4e2
NWHU explains COVID-19 testing in First Nation communities
Gemmill didn’t have an estimation on the time lapse between the confirmation of a positive case, the information being sent to Indigenous Affairs and then the health unit, but he hopes it would be as “quick as possible.” He notes that these tests are being sent to a centre in Winnipeg for results.
“We do work with our colleagues in Indigenous communities. I don’t think there would be too much of a delay,” Gemmill added.
https://www.drydennow.com/local/nwhu-explains-covid-19-testing-in-first-nation-communities
COVID-19: Oprah, Meryl Streep, and More Sign Open Letter Warning of Indigenous ‘Genocide’ in Brazil
“When you endorse or encourage an act that you know will eliminate a population or part of a population, this is the definition of genocide,” Salgado told the Guardian. “[It will be] genocide because we know this is going to happen, we are facilitating … the entry of coronavirus … [and therefore] permission is being given for the death of these Indigenous people.”
https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/indigenous-people-brazil-coronavirus/
Coronavirus: 173 years on, Irish repay favour to Native American tribes hit by COVID-19
About 60,000 Native Americans had just suffered through the Trail of Tears – a series of compulsory relocations from their ancestral homelands which saw thousands die from hunger, disease, and exhaustion during forced marches – which made them empathetic to Irish people suffering the worst effects of the famine.
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN THE AGE OF COVID-19
Indigenous nations around the world provide us with examples of sustainable living. Their ways of life provide us with a vivid alternative to the current corporate-centric world order. Indigenous peoples also are custodians of some the world’s last remaining biospheres. Now is the time for international communities to act, to promote environmental sustainability worldwide in conjunction with Human Rights.
Race and socio-economic data should be considered during COVID-19: expert
“My disability doesn’t directly increase my risk of exposure to the coronavirus, but it does indirectly because I have to use buses and the LRT, if I need to get around,” he said.
According to Wallace, our living situation and the type of work we do, often varies along racial, ethnic and socioeconomic lines. He points to the growing body of evidence of Black Americans affected by the coronavirus, as well as Indigenous Nations during the swine flu pandemic. Individuals from those communities were 6.5 times more likely to end up in the ICU.
Rio Tinto contributes $10 million to support COVID-19 community initiatives across Canada and United States
“Our investments are targeted at practical solutions like funding the food banks or counselling and support services that are helping frontline response workers and the communities around our operations. We will also play our part in supporting and stimulating current and future economic activity through regional development initiatives that are vital for local jobs and businesses.
United Chiefs and Councils proposes unified COVID-19 response committee
“We don’t see a co-ordinated approach to COVID-19 on Manitoulin. Everybody seems to be doing different things and we need to get people working together,” UCCMM Tribal Chair Chief Patsy Corbiere, who is also chief of Aundeck Omni Kaning, told The Expositor in an interview.
“We’re sending out an olive branch … I’m sure we can deal with (these issues) together at the table and fix them. I really do. We’ve done it before, why can’t we do it again?” she added