Summary
Indigenous tribes across the world are grappling with the intense effects of COVID-19, which are compounded by economic, geographic, and environmental factors. In the Amazon rainforest, isolated tribes already under threat from government encroachment face a potentially devastating crisis as cases of the coronavirus begins appearing. In the United States, outbreaks on reservations – most notably in the Navajo Nation – have highlighted the severe health and housing disparities faced by many tribes. As resource scarcity and logistical conflicts arise, deep-rooted issues regarding the treatment of indigenous populations are moving to the forefront of public health conversations.
Navajo Nation deeply impacted by COVID-19
As the coronavirus courses through the United States, residents of the Navajo Nation have been hit particularly hard. The Nation – which comprises 175,000 residents spread across New Mexico, Arizona, and parts of Utah – currently has 1,197 cases and 44 deaths. In response, tribal officials have ramped up testing as well as enforcing regulations that are much more rigorous than those of the state and federal governments. As of Saturday, protective masks are required when visiting the reservation, and a weeknight curfew was extended into a full lockdown (except for emergency trips) over the weekend.
The prevalence of the virus is largely due to environmental and public health issues that have had a disproportionate effect on Native American populations for decades. The leading causes of death for Native Americans include diabetes, cancer, and heart disease, and the prevalence of these illnesses makes the population at large extremely vulnerable to other diseases such as COVID-19. Additionally, healthcare resources are severely limited. Most available facilities are a long drive from the reservation, and even if an infected person was able to reach said hospital, the most necessary resources to battle COVID – namely, ventilators and ICU beds – are in short supply.
Then there are the geographical factors, particularly water scarcity. While overcrowding and lack of utilities is an issue on many reservations, it is particularly problematic on the Navajo Nation, where, according to HealthAffairs.org, 35-40% of the homes do not have running water. Without access to standard hygienic facilities, residents are even less equipped to combat the virus. While the Navajo Nation’s struggles with the coronavirus highlight greater systemic issues for the health of Native American populations, their proactive testing and restrictions also offer a blueprint for other communities in crisis.
Sources: Fonseca, Felicia. 2020, April 15. Navajo Nation extends weekend lockdowns as virus cases rise. Associated Press. https://apnews.com/8153655440a0fa81d899bf50f26d689d; Navajo Department of Health. Accessed 2020, April 27. Dikos Ntsaaigii-19 (COVID-19); Navajo Department of Health. https://www.ndoh.navajo-nsn.gov/COVID-19; Schultz, Heidi A. 2020, March 31. Native American Communities and COVID-19: How Foundations Can Help. Health Affairs Blog. https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hblog20200331.659944/full/
Tribes seek legal action over distribution of aid
On Friday, April 17, a group of Native American tribes sued the federal government over the proposed distribution of coronavirus relief funds. Of the $8 billion allocated for native American tribes, it was proposed that $3 billion would go to Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs), which differ significantly from standard tribal arrangements. ANCs are for-profit, private enterprises, and the suing tribes argue that ANCs should be ineligible to receive aid because the funds are meant to be distributed to groups that have a direct working relationship with the federal government. The lawsuit was originally filed by the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians in Maine, the Tulalip Tribes and the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation in Washington, and three tribes from Alaska: the Asa’carsarmiut Tribe, the Aleut Community of St. Paul Island, and the Akiak Native Community. Additional tribes from South Dakota, California, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah have joined the lawsuit.
There has been significant pushback against the lawsuit by the Interior Department, which oversees the Bureau of Indian Affairs, as well as the United States Treasury, which was named as the defendant in the suit. Both departments have recognized ANCs as eligible entities, with the Interior Department pointing out that they are listed as tribes in the federal aid bill.
The history of Alaska Native Corporations stems from economic shifts in the state. After the discovery of oil in the region sparked conflicts over land ownership and economic access, Congress passed the Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971. The law granted shares in village and native corporations to any Alaska Natives and/or descendants born before 1971. In total, 40 million acres were distributed between 220 village corporations and 12 native corporations. Over time, mergers and shifts have changed the exact number of corporations, but the essential idea behind it – advancing economic security for Native communities via participation in business infrastructure – has remained. In recent years, however, ANCs have come under scrutiny for what many say is a failure to meet their financial obligations to their constituents. While the organizations are able to participate in small-business programs, and can theoretically provide financial stimulus to their communities via charitable contributions, critics argue that the corporations do not, in reality, disperse funds adequately. Numerous Congressional investigations into ANCs have been launched in the past decade.
On Friday, April 24, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta in Washington, D.C. held a hearing from the tribes requesting the temporary pause of relief fund distribution until the debate over legitimacy can be settled. Judge Mehta announced that he will make a decision on Monday.
Sources: Fonseca, Felicia. 2020, April 17. Tribes sue over distribution of coronavirus relief funding. Associated Press. https://apnews.com/0227910d4339a262b5c0227ee0a5c157; LaFleur, Jennifer and Grabell, Michael. 2010, December 15. What Are Alaska Native Corporations? ProPublica. https://www.propublica.org/article/what-are-alaska-native-corporations; Fonseca, Felicia. 2020, April 24. Ruling due Monday in tribal case over virus relief funding. Associated Press. https://apnews.com/fcfddc2a27c811b8e5dba9d93ab075ae
Amazonian tribes fight against spread of coronavirus
The first recorded cases of the coronavirus have appeared in normally isolated tribes in the Amazon, sparking concerns that the spread could be devastating to the population. On April 10, CNN announced the death of the first positive case, a 15-year-old boy from the Yanomami tribe. While the hospital did not reveal the specific cause of death, the boy had tested positive for COVID, and officials fear that the tribe – which, at 38,000 individuals, is one of the largest mostly isolated societies in the region – will be irreversibly damaged. Reports indicate that the disease was originally brought into the area by illegal miners, whose unregulated movement makes the disease harder to trace and contain. Another significant transmission risk are visits from city-dwelling relatives, who may inadvertently carry the contagion back to their ancestral lands when they return for visits.
On April 10th, when news of the fatality was reported, Brazil had approximately 18,176 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, with an estimated 957 deaths. Three of these deaths came from members of indigenous communities. As in the United States, isolation and inadequate health resources pose a serious threat to tribes throughout the Amazon. While tribes on protected lands have their own healthcare system, it has struggled thus far to provide necessary treatments. Many of the hospitals in the region – including in Manaus, the Amazon’s largest city – have already run out of beds. Moreover, the Manaus hospitals, which are the only ones in the area with intensive care units, are fast running out of ventilators and protective equipment. Meanwhile, many tribes have withdrawn further into their homelands, hoping to avoid the next outbreak.
Sources: Biller, David. 2020, April 10. Brazil teen’s death raises virus alert for indigenous groups. Associated Press. https://apnews.com/e6f5ff0382bc54b9e46ea8634d22ebac; Kaur, Harmeet and Alberti, Mia. 2020, April 10. A boy from a remote Amazonian tribe has died, raising concerns about Covid-19’s impact on indigenous people. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/10/world/yanomami-amazon-coronavirus-brazil-trnd/index.html; De Sousa, Marcelo and Biller, David. 2020, April 20. Virus crisis ravages Brazilian Amazon city’s health system. Associated Press. https://apnews.com/a61651d11c7c3e009a62cea08020b6fd