COVID-19 poses heightened risk for First Nations

The COVID-19 virus is causing chaos around the planet and now it’s getting closer to home.

The outbreak has been upgraded to a pandemic by the World Health Organization, and since that announcement things have got real.

The wave of concern and preparedness is flowing through Canada, and Indian Country is no different. Our people are especially vulnerable because of our living conditions and low standard of living.

Most Indigenous communities, especially those in the north, have inadequate housing with several generations and several families often living under the same roof. This, coupled with poor water and sanitation, combines to create a dangerous mix that makes our people more vulnerable to this pandemic.

The government is suggesting that self-isolation is recommended for those who come in contact with someone who has the disease, but this is unrealistic in crowded housing conditions. In many First Nations homes, self-isolation is next to impossible.

The Indigenous community is responding like other communities across the country. The annual Gathering of Nations pow wow in Albuquerque to be held April 23-25 has been postponed. This pow wow is one of the largest in North America and attracts thousands of dancers and audience members. It is considered the kickoff to the summer pow wow season.

In Saskatchewan, the Tony Cote Winter Games and the FSIN Youth Hockey Tournament have been cancelled. Also, the Fred Sasakamoose Chief Thunderstick National Hockey Tournament to be held this weekend is also cancelled, as is the Metis Nation Louis Riel Cup Hockey Tournament.

The First Nations University of Canada also has postponed its spring pow wow, another one of the important events on the pow wow calendar.

The FSIN has cancelled all its meetings, conferences and forums for the foreseeable future.

Meanwhile, communities are preparing for the anticipated influx of the pandemic. First Nations have health provisions and emergency preparedness clauses in our treaties, so the federal government has a special responsibility to provide extra support. This program is delivered through the federal First Nations, Inuit Health Branch.

A decade ago, when we had the H1N1 pandemic, Federal Health sent body bags with morbidity kits to communities in northern Manitoba. This was seen as an enormous insult and many of the body bags were sent back to the Winnipeg regional office.

This time, the federal government has set aside $1.1 billion to fight the pandemic, with about $100 million going to First Nations communities. Hopefully this time body bags are not part of the supplies.

So, who’s vulnerable to this new threat? The threat is mainly to older individuals and those with pre-existing conditions, including diabetes, asthma and other respiratory diseases. These are conditions found in many of our people over the age of 50, which is the most vulnerable group.

Pandemics often affect certain age groups. The 1918 flu pandemic attacked the young and fit population. Soldiers returning from the Great War were especially vulnerable, since they often were transported on crowded troop ships.

This time, children and young adults are still able to contract the disease, but their chances of a serious reaction are lessened. It’s the older people who are vulnerable to a more serious reaction.

This means that our elders are especially vulnerable this time. In First Nations communities, elders play a very important role as spiritual advisers and teachers, and they hold the moral leadership.

This pandemic has the potential to attack our elders, leaving an enormous void in the community. We must follow the medical advice and not be in close contact with others. If a young person contracts the disease and doesn’t feel too sick, they still must avoid the others because it can be fatal to those who are elders or weakened by a pre-existing condition.

Right now, we only have a few cases of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan, but we don’t know where this is going. In Europe the economy is pretty much shut down and COVID -19 cases are on the rise; hospitals are taxed to the max. We have to hunker down and work together to overcome the threat of this pandemic.