COVID-19 Daily News Digest – September 5, 2020
Squamish Nation delivers 700 care packages as COVID cases climb
“People say these are unprecedented times. And in some ways, that’s right. But in some ways, it’s not,” he said. “Our people have lived through pandemics. They have lived through times like this. We have many stories from our elders that talk to us about hard times, and times where we had to come together as a people.”
Vancouver Island First Nations council calls on B.C. to act after first COVID-19 case on reserve
It was not until mid-July that a table with B.C. and the three Nations was established, where they could talk about these four requirements: rapid testing, screening of people before coming into the territory, training and implementation of culturally safe contact tracing, and a communications protocol that would ensure Nuu-chah-nulth Nations know the location of a COVID-19 case that is close to their communities, so they could be properly prepared.
Pre-existing overcrowding, internet problems complicate First Nations’ return to school
“Our internet service is very slow and unreliable…. If we get all of our students online at the same time, it will get slower and slower,” said Wood.
While most in-school classes in Manitoba will begin on Sept. 8, Wood said the community will be “playing it by ear,” and that teachers in the community are getting ready to deliver work from home packages next week.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/manitoba-first-nations-back-to-school-1.5711686
Indigenous Brazilians launch coronavirus tracing app
Provided free on the Android system, the app uses data from Brazil’s health ministry, people working in the indigenous health system, leaders from indigenous organizations and the COIAB network.
“This collection of information, as well as directing our strategies and actions to combat Covid-19, has exposed the lack of notification from public authorities and the serious way in which the new virus affects us,” said Mario Nicacio Wapichana, the deputy co-ordinator of COIAB.
‘Trapped again’: Quarantined Ecuador indigenous groups fight Amazon oil spill
Already feeling trapped by quarantine, the more than 27,000 indigenous people living along the Coca and Napo rivers now cannot farm or fish on their own territory because of the oil in the water, Jipa said.
“We are trapped again,” said the local leader, who is president of the Kichwa indigenous federation, FCUNAE.
Ontario using COVID-19 as a ‘smokescreen’ to trample treaty rights, chiefs say
“It’s shameful that Ontario is proceeding in this way and attempting to use the COVID-19 global pandemic as a smokescreen to ignore their constitutional duties to First Nations,” said Sheldon Oskineegish, the chief of Nibinamik, a remote First Nation in northern Ontario.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/bill-197-first-nations-1.5712623