Perhaps at no other point in our history have people in distant places like Wuhan Province in China and Bergamo, Italy, seemed so close and yet our friends and neighbors seemed so distant. But for as much as we’re learning about the deficiencies within the American health system as it prepares to confront this pandemic, few of us understand how vulnerable the indigenous people of this land are to this threat. I’ve spent the past couple weeks interviewing tribal leaders from California, Oklahoma, Michigan, South Dakota and Nebraska, as well as numerous advocates for tribes, such as the National Congress of American Indians and the National Indian Health Board. I’ve been feverishly trying to educate myself about the intricacies of the massive federal bureaucracy that serves the Native people of this land and about the Indian Health Service, the federal agency that delivers health care to most tribal communities. In nearly all of my interviews, the message is the same: Indian Country is not ready for the tsunami that appears poised to wash over America. Like other hospitals in hard-hit areas like California and New York, Indian hospitals and clinics don’t have the necessary personal protective equipment – masks, gloves and scrubs – or the COVID-19 test kits necessary to monitor and treat any potential disease outbreaks."We've been here forever. We'll be here forever": As #Coronavirus cases across America continue to surge, tribal leaders are taking dramatic steps to ensure the safety of their people and those they serve. #COVID19 https://t.co/x0gjf38IMY
— indianz.com (@indianz) March 23, 2020
![](https://www.indianz.com/News/2020/03/22/bettyvance.jpg)
So how can we slow or stop this worst-case scenario from happening? Write your congressman or senator. Tell them that tribes need to be included in any legislation that is designed to provide relief to communities and hospitals preparing for the COVID-19 pandemic. Tell them that it is morally wrong to continue to neglect the indigenous people of America who paid for their healthcare with the ceding of millions of acres of their land. Tell them that providing support to one of the most vulnerable populations in our society is simply the right thing to do if we truly want to “flatten the curve” and meet the challenge presented by this threat. Aho! Wopilatanka my relatives!ICYMI: The so-called "Phase 3" #Coronavirus relief package leaves Indian Country behind. Here's what Kevin Allis, Chief Executive Officer of the National Congress of American Indians, said about the CARES Act. @NCAI1944 #COVID19 #CoronavirusIndianCountry pic.twitter.com/pVy0RCIOUe
— indianz.com (@indianz) March 21, 2020
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