Pandemic Disparities In Tribal Communities
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Lummi Nation member James Scott (native name Qwelexwbed), left, receives the first COVID-19 vaccination on the Lummi Reservation by registered nurse Alyssa Lane, Thursday, Dec. 17, 2020, near Bellingham, Wash.
AP Photo/Elaine Thompson
The pandemic is disproportionately affecting tribal communities. According to the CDC, they’ve been one of the hardest-hit groups by the pandemic. Leaders and experts now say the death and infection tally numbers in their communities are far too low, and that COVID-19, like other illnesses, just exacerbates pre-existing health disparities. Today on Insight, how the coronavirus is impacting Indigenous peoples and the factors behind it.
Today's Guests
- USA Today Agriculture, Housing and Health Reporter Kate Cimini with her recent reporting on the disparities in the health, health care, and economic welfare of Indigenous peoples during the pandemic
- Chair of the Committee of Native Affairs and Democratic Assemblymember James Ramos, of the Serrano/Cahuilla tribes, discusses the work he’s doing to address racial disparities in health care and treatment in California
- Sacramento Native American Health Center CEO Britta Guerrero, of San Carlos Apache tribe, on pre-existing health disparities and how the pandemic has exacerbated the issue
- Chapa-De Indian Health Medical Director and Physician Dr. Alinea Stevens explains how COVID-19 affects vulnerable populations and what her center is doing to meet the needs of American Indians during the pandemic