COVID-19 Daily News Digest – October 19, 2020
Seven month lookback: how U of T experts have studied the social effects of COVID-19
Both authors maintained that addressing the social determinants of health in both short and long terms “will require the decolonizing of health care at individual, organizational and policy levels.”
Anderson explained that the health care system is centred around a history of systemic racism and discrimination. This not only results in lower health care funding for Indigenous communities, but the health care system’s history also makes it difficult for Indigenous people to trust the system. As such, Indigenous communities are not seeking medical attention, and accurate data examining the impact of COVID-19 on Indigenous communities cannot be collected.
Simple remedy for racism in health-care system
So, as Indigenous peoples literally beg for systemic racism to be addressed in Canada’s health-care system, here comes elected officials arguing it’s due to some “bad apples,” so we need an inquiry or meeting where Indigenous peoples have to prove racism exists.
Meanwhile, Indigenous peoples need the health-care system more than ever.
On Friday, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs announced 105 new COVID-19 cases among First Nations people in the past week, raising the total to 284 (115 on-reserve, 169 off-reserve) since the novel coronavirus pandemic began.
http://www.netnewsledger.com/2020/10/18/simple-remedy-for-racism-in-health-care-system/
‘Until the enemy passes’ — COVID-19 tears through Northern Cheyenne reservation
Reopening the center has been just one of the solutions from within and without of the Northern Cheyenne Reservation resulting from a staggering number of COVID-19 cases and deaths among its members. While the rest of the state grapples with possible lockdown orders from local health officers, hospitals congested with patients and strained medical staff and resources, the Northern Cheyenne have already seen the worst of what the pandemic can do.
Translations 4 Our Nations: creating accessible COVID-19 information for Indigenous communities
She continued, “Growing up, it was difficult to bring documents that were not in basic English from school to my parents who did not understand much written English. The gap of translated COVID-19 documents is something that needs to be addressed quickly, to mitigate further negative health outcomes for communities that are unable to understand English.”
‘Education, our way’: New First Nations education directorate promoting student success in the Yukon
You might not think of a children’s fish camp as a form of educational empowerment, but that’s exactly the case in the Yukon.
The fish camp was one of many new programs rolled out by the newly formed Yukon First Nations Education Directorate. It replaces the Council of Yukon First Nations’ (CYFN) education department.
The directorate will help First Nations employ more control over the education of Indigenous students in the Yukon, while also working toward its own school board.