Native Communities, the Federal Government and the Pandemic
As we move into the tenth month of the novel coronavirus pandemic, communities all over the country are struggling to contain the COVID-19 crisis. While the vaccine rollout may be a ray of hope, it will be a while before widespread vaccination is achieved. Indigenous nations in the United States have been hit particularly hard by the virus, continuing a long history of pandemics affecting Native communities since settlers arrived. In fact, federal agencies and state governments have failed to address the pandemic adequately in Native communities, keeping in line with this history.
Dr. Lisa Hardy is an associate professor of anthropology and Dr. Kerry Thompson is an Associate Professor of Anthropology & Department Chair, both at Northern Arizona University . They coauthored a post on The Conversation headlined “Tribes mount organized responses to COVID-19, in contrast to state and federal governments.” They joined the show to discuss how tribal governments and communities are responding to the pandemic in lieu of state and federal action.