COVID-19 Daily News Digest – September 17, 2020
No new COVID-19 cases identified at Fisher River, Peguis First Nations
Peguis First Nation is also bringing back a checkpoint system to restrict non-essential travel in and out of the community, which will be up and running as of Tuesday evening, Hudson said.
The checkpoint is also intended to protect other neighbouring communities, he said, including Kinonjeoshtegon First Nation and Fisher River Cree Nation.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/first-nations-covid-19-cases-update-1.5724039
Manitoba First Nations on high alert following COVID-19 cases
“Regrettably, we know it was not ‘if’ but ‘when’,” Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs grand chief Arlen Dumas told Global News. “And unfortunately, ‘when’ is here — it’s upon us now.”
“I get a little bit of faith in the strength of the leadership,” he said.
“The communities have shone really well. They’re going out on a limb on many things to do incredible work to keep their communities safe.”
Here’s what northerners hope to hear from the throne speech
“Housing is such a determinant of the quality of people’s life out here,” she said. “If you don’t have a place to live you can’t be safe from COVID[-19]. You can’t be safe from anything.”
Hrenchuk said the pandemic has also “shined a spotlight on food security,” with a “new demographic” of working poor, now unemployed, showing up at food banks.
“All the agencies that are providing food to people who are food insecure are just tapped out beyond belief,” she said.
A basic annual income, which Liberals have hinted could be an end goal for employment insurance reform, would “solve a lot of those things,” she said.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/northerners-throne-speech-1.5726828
COVID-19 testing site for Indigenous people to open in Toronto
“There’s not much trust for some Indigenous folks in our health care system because of discriminatory practices or blatant racism,” said Steve Teekens, executive director of Na-Me-Res, an emergency shelter and housing organization.
“We have a vacant building here and one of our managers thought this would be a fabulous idea to offer it up as a COVID testing facility for Indigenous people.”
https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/covid-19-testing-site-indigenous-people-toronto-1.5726770
Amazon Indigenous group patrols to expel invading loggers
“For a long time, since I was born, I heard my father and the elders talk about the need to fight the loggers in our lands,” said Ronaldo Tembé, a 21-year-old member of the 40-man patrol. “We are trying to combat deforestation within our reserve, which is becoming increasingly precarious.”
“We created the guardians, so these young men can inspect the land, to show where the invasions and illegal loggers are,” said village leader Sérgio Tembé, adding that Bolsonaro’s staunch support for Amazon development has emboldened the illegal activity.
B.C. First Nations council is moving to Indigenous-developed library system
“A lot of the subject headings that librarians use and a lot of the metadata norms that archivists use are really biased towards the Western way of looking at organizing knowledge, so it can be difficult to find resources for our researchers,” said Louro.
The archivist said she also won’t consider the Library of Congress classification system because it organizes materials in an alphabetical order, not based on the geographical locations of Indigenous communities as the Brian Deer system is.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/cstc-library-dewey-brian-deer-1.5726732
Little Shuswap Lake Indian Band confirms COVID-19 case
It’s believed this is the same case that resulted in the closure of the Skwlax Centre gas station on Squilax Anglemont Road. The station is owned and operated by the LSLIB.
According to a notice to Adams Lake sawmill employees from its employer Interfor, the individual was at work stocking shelves at the gas station for one-to-two hours early on the morning of Sept. 10.
Feds stress caution over a second wave of COVID-19
“There are strict protocols that we’ve learned from mistakes in the past to make sure that the nurses aren’t vectors of transmission,” Miller told reporters Wednesday at the Liberal cabinet retreat.
Miller said there are more than 100 remote First Nations communities and the medical protocol for flights in and out will continue.
https://www.aptnnews.ca/national-news/feds-stress-caution-over-a-second-wave-of-covid-19/
MMF president, Manitoba premier in war of words over pandemic planning
“They don’t want to recognize my Metis government… that they recognize us as a Metis government representing our citizens,” said Chartrand. “That’s the problem Pallister faces and that’s the problem his government faces.”
In a letter released Sept. 11, the MMF said, “COVID-19 is a matter of life and death for a vulnerable, at risk Manitoba Metis Community. The fact is that Manitoba, the Minister of Health and Chief Provincial Public Health Officer Dr. Roussin, will not communicate with nor work with the MMF on the COVID-19 pandemic response. Given their willingness to work with First Nations and Inuit, the two other Aboriginal peoples of Canada, I have concluded, that the sole reason they will not communicate with the MMF is because of our citizens are Metis.
Peguis braces for third COVID-19 case
Last Friday, the band reported two separate cases, when a rapid test conducted at the local hospital indicated a positive result, which the provincial Cadham laboratory has since confirmed.
Separately, Sagkeeng went into lockdown Monday because of a confirmed case. The reserve, 135 km northeast of Winnipeg, said only 262 members allowed onto reserve and all offices working from home.