Good Morning NUNAverse,
A study published Monday confirms that the pandemic hit Black, Native, and Hispanic communities far harder than Whites early on, killing greater proportions of these groups. People from these groups were more likely to die from all causes – COVID-19 and others – than were Whites and Asians, the National Cancer Institute-led team said. “Age-standardized excess deaths per 100,000 persons among Black, American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN), and Latino males and females were more than double those in White and Asian males and females. Non-COVID-19 excess deaths also disproportionately affected Black, AI/AN, and Latino persons,” they added. “Compared with White males and females, non-COVID-19 excess deaths per 100,000 persons were 2 to 4 times higher in Black, AI/AN, and Latino males and females, including deaths due to diabetes, heart disease, cerebrovascular disease (stroke), and Alzheimer disease. Excess deaths in 2020 resulted in substantial widening of racial/ethnic disparities in all-cause mortality from 2019 to 2020.”
The New York Times provides six short lesson plans about the actions that Native people are taking to redress past wrongs and foster a better future. They have selected six Times articles published in the last year that feature stories of Native people who are fighting to ensure representation, repatriation, and recognition. For each article, they have created a basic lesson plan featuring a short warm-up activity, questions for writing and discussion, and a short list of additional related resources.
The Meskwaki Health Clinic, located in Tama, Iowa, will be awarded the National Indian Health Board’s “Heroes in Health Award” during a virtual ceremony on Wednesday, October 6. Every year, the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) honors a select group of people and organizations who represent outstanding service improving Native health. In a statement to the media, Meskwaki Health Clinic notes that its health care team “worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic, providing more than 6,000 COVID-19 shots to the Settlement’s residents and staff, as well as to under-served communities throughout central Iowa. As a tribe of just over 1,450 people, the health clinic served more than four times their tribe’s population, providing life-saving shots to anyone wishing to be vaccinated.” The award recognizes this work rising above and beyond the challenges faced.
Six tribes sued the state of Wisconsin in September to try to stop its planned gray wolf hunt in November, asserting that the hunt violates their treaty rights and endangers an animal they consider sacred. The Chippewa tribes say treaties give them rights to half of the wolf quota in territory they ceded to the United States in the mid-1800s. But rather than hunt wolves, the tribes want to protect them. The tribal lawsuit comes three weeks after a coalition of wildlife advocacy groups sued to stop Wisconsin’s wolf hunt this fall and void a state law mandating annual hunts, arguing that the statutes don’t give wildlife managers any leeway to consider population estimates. Hunters blew past their limit during a court-ordered hunt in February. The state Department of Natural Resources set the quota at 119 but hunters killed 218 wolves in just four days, forcing an early end to the season.
Keep reading for a full news update.
COVID-19:
National Indian Health Board Awards Meskwaki Health Services With Prestigious “Heroes In Health Award”
Native News Online, October 4
The Meskwaki Health Clinic, located in Tama, Iowa, will be awarded the National Indian Health Board’s “Heroes in Health Award” during a virtual ceremony on Wednesday, October 6. Every year, the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) honors a select group of people and organizations who represent outstanding service improving Native health. In a statement to the media, Meskwaki Health Clinic notes that its health care team “worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic, providing more than 6,000 COVID-19 shots to the Settlement’s residents and staff, as well as to under-served communities throughout central Iowa. As a tribe of just over 1,450 people, the health clinic served more than four times their tribe’s population, providing life-saving shots to anyone wishing to be vaccinated.” The award recognizes this work rising above and beyond the challenges faced.
Study Confirms Pandemic Hit Black Americans, Native Americans And Latinos Harder Than Whites
CNN, Maggie Fox, October 4
A study published Monday confirms that the pandemic hit Black Americans, Native people, Latinos far harder than Whites early on, killing greater proportions of these groups. People from these groups were more likely to die from all causes — COVID-19 and others — than were Whites and Asians, the National Cancer Institute-led team said. “Age-standardized excess deaths per 100,000 persons among Black, American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN), and Latino males and females were more than double those in White and Asian males and females. Non–COVID-19 excess deaths also disproportionately affected Black, AI/AN, and Latino persons,” they added. “Compared with White males and females, non-COVID-19 excess deaths per 100,000 persons were 2 to 4 times higher in Black, AI/AN, and Latino males and females, including deaths due to diabetes, heart disease, cerebrovascular disease (stroke), and Alzheimer disease. Excess deaths in 2020 resulted in substantial widening of racial/ethnic disparities in all-cause mortality from 2019 to 2020.”
Law:
Justices Won’t Hear Tax Row Over Native Land Gravel Income
Law 360, Theresa Schliep, October 4
The U.S. Supreme Court said Monday it won’t consider a challenge from a deceased Seneca Nation member and her husband to taxes on income earned from gravel from tribal land, letting stand a Second Circuit decision affirming the liability. The justices declined to take up the appeal from Alice Perkins, who died in July, and her widower, Frederick, over the Second Circuit’s decision affirming their roughly $500,000 tax liability on the gravel mined from tribal land, according to an order list released by the court. The appeals court had found in August 2020 that neither the 1794 Treaty of Canandaigua nor the 1842 Treaty with the Seneca provides a tax exemption for income earned by individuals from tribal land as the couple had contended.
Other:
6 Tribes Sue Wisconsin To Try To Stop November Wolf Hunt
The Circle, October 4
Six tribes sued the state of Wisconsin in September to try to stop its planned gray wolf hunt in November, asserting that the hunt violates their treaty rights and endangers an animal they consider sacred. The Chippewa tribes say treaties give them rights to half of the wolf quota in territory they ceded to the United States in the mid-1800s. But rather than hunt wolves, the tribes want to protect them. The tribal lawsuit comes three weeks after a coalition of wildlife advocacy groups sued to stop Wisconsin’s wolf hunt this fall and void a state law mandating annual hunts, arguing that the statutes don’t give wildlife managers any leeway to consider population estimates. Hunters blew past their limit during a court-ordered hunt in February. The state Department of Natural Resources set the quota at 119 but hunters killed 218 wolves in just four days, forcing an early end to the season.
Teaching About The Native American Fight For Representation, Repatriation And Recognition
The New York Times, Keith Meatto, October 4
The New York Times provides six short lesson plans about the actions that Native people are taking to redress past wrongs and foster a better future. They have selected six Times articles published in the last year that feature stories of Native people who are fighting to ensure representation, repatriation and recognition. For each article, they have created a basic lesson plan featuring a short warm-up activity, questions for writing and discussion, and a short list of additional related resources.
Meet The First Navajo Rebelle Rally Team
Indian Country Today, Kelle Benallie, October 4
A grueling off-road competition that asks competitors to hand calculate longitude and latitude coordinates to find checkpoints. That’s what two Navajo women are up against. The Navajo Reservation has prepared them for this. Shandiina Peters said growing up she did a lot of off-roading when she would go with her dad to install solar panels for those without electricity on the Navajo Nation. Peters and Black are the first all-Native female team to compete at the Rebelle Rally, an eight-day, off-road navigation race that starts Thursday and goes to Oct. 16. Team Asdzáá Skoden will compete against more than 50 teams and drive an estimated 2,500 kilometers or 1,550 miles across Nevada, California and Arizona.