{"id":15385,"date":"2021-08-30T12:28:01","date_gmt":"2021-08-30T16:28:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/News\/?p=15385"},"modified":"2021-08-30T12:28:01","modified_gmt":"2021-08-30T16:28:01","slug":"news21-covid-19-pandemic-exposes-many-challenges-in-indian-country","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/08\/30\/news21-covid-19-pandemic-exposes-many-challenges-in-indian-country\/","title":{"rendered":"News21: COVID-19 pandemic exposes many challenges in Indian Country"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"padding:56.25% 0 0 0;position:relative;\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/583135178?h=36834cce54&#038;color=e60000&#038;title=0&#038;byline=0&#038;portrait=0\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><script src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/api\/player.js\"><\/script>\r\n<figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Unmasking America (News21): <a href=https:\/\/vimeo.com\/583135178>\u2018The effects still linger\u2019<\/a>\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n<div class=\"h3-responsive font-weight-bold\">COVID relief highlights complexity of issues facing Native Americans<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"date\">Monday, August 30, 2021<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"byline\">By Nancy Marie Spears, Beth Wallis and Mackenzie Wilkes<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"source\">News21<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"source-links\"><a href=https:\/\/news21.com\/>news21.com<\/a><\/div>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nCongress allocated a historic amount of federal funds to tribes through the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/116th-congress\/senate-bill\/3548\/text\">2020 CARES Act<\/a> and the 2021 American <a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/117\/bills\/hr1319\/BILLS-117hr1319enr.pdf\">Rescue Plan Act<\/a>. For some Indigenous communities, those federal funds were beneficial. For others, the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted deeper systemic complexities that federal funding cannot fully address.<p><\/p>\r\nIndigenous nations across the country have experienced chronic federal <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usccr.gov\/pubs\/2018\/12-20-Broken-Promises.pdf\">underfunding<\/a>, which has led to disproportionate impacts tied to COVID-19 through housing, employment, public safety, food security, health care and economic outcomes.<span id=\"more-131429\"><\/span><p><\/p>\r\nIn March 2020, the CARES Act established the Coronavirus Relief Fund, which allocated $8 billion to tribal governments and Alaska Native Corporations to address \u201cnecessary expenditures\u201d incurred because of COVID-19.<p><\/p>\r\nA year later, American Rescue Plan Act funds allocated $31 billion for infrastructure needs and other federal programs for Indigenous communities.<p><\/p>\r\nAdditionally, $1 billion is being divided and dispersed to each eligible tribal government, and $900 million was allocated for several purposes, including tribal housing improvements.<p><\/p>\r\nCongress also allocated funds to various Indigenous entities through smaller COVID-19 relief bills: $2.6 billion from the Consolidated Appropriations Act, no less than $750 million plus a share of no less than $11 million from the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, and $74 million from the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cWhat we learned was, even though money was allocated, we were still running into a lot of issues,\u201d said Eugenia Charles-Newton, a member of the Navajo Nation Council. \u201cThere were so many rules from the U.S. Department of Treasury regarding the CARES \u2026 that made it really difficult to try to spend that money where it was needed.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\n <a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/08\/30\/news21-covid-19-pandemic-exposes-many-challenges-in-indian-country\/mariettagreen\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-15388\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-attachment-id=\"15388\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/08\/30\/news21-covid-19-pandemic-exposes-many-challenges-in-indian-country\/mariettagreen\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/30\/MariettaGreen.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2000,1333\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;6.3&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Beth Wallis&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS R&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Marietta Green stands on her family\\u2019s land on the Blackfeet reservation in Browning, Montana. Green said she hopes to someday build a house and move out to the remote area. (Beth Wallis\/News21)&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1624293821&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;50&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;400&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.00125&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Marietta Green\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Marietta Green stands on her family\u2019s land on the Blackfeet Nation  in Browning, Montana. Green said she hopes to someday build a house and move out to the remote area. Photo by Beth Wallis \/ News21&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/30\/MariettaGreen-1024x682.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/30\/MariettaGreen.jpg\" alt=\"Marietta Green\"  class=\"size-full wp-image-15388\" \/><\/a> <figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Marietta Green stands on her family\u2019s land on the Blackfeet Nation  in Browning, Montana. Green said she hopes to someday build a house and move out to the remote area. Photo by Beth Wallis \/ News21<\/figcaption>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n<div class=\"h5-responsive sub\">\u2018They won\u2019t help me\u2019<\/div>\r\nThe Blackfeet Nation received $38,692,273 in CARES money, according to Richard K. Delmar, acting inspector general for the Department of the Treasury.<p><\/p>\r\nBut Marietta Green, a tribal elder who lives on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation near Browning, Montana, said she has been waiting for the tribal housing department to address her problems for years.<p><\/p>\r\nGreen lives in a four-bedroom house where she raises three grandchildren. She said her home has high levels of mold, her plumbing is unpredictable and her lights get shut off about 11 a.m. when her electric bill isn\u2019t paid on time.<p><\/p>\r\nThe tribe used CARES Act funds to distribute $500 checks to enrolled members 18 or older. Green used her check to buy food and take care of her grandchildren.<p><\/p>\r\nGreen said she covers the windows in the house\u2019s back rooms to keep out the cold Montana winters, when temperatures can dip below zero. Many windows are broken or too drafty to keep the house warm, she said.<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cThe housing authority, they\u2019re supposed to be the authority,\u201d Green said. \u201cThey\u2019re supposed to be there for us, they\u2019re supposed to be helping us maintain these places and giving us equipment so we could maintain these places. \u2026 But they won\u2019t help me.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\nGreen said when she moved in about 25 years ago, the housing department helped with rental assistance, but that stopped. Green applied for rent and water assistance through the tribe and has been told by the housing department her one-time assistance check is on the way.<p><\/p>\r\nTribal members like Green said they are troubled by the lack of transparency from their government on how CARES Act funding was spent. On June 21, 2021, Green and fellow tribal members Laura Smith and Leona Gopher protested for accountability outside the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council office in Browning.<p><\/p>\r\n <a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/08\/30\/news21-covid-19-pandemic-exposes-many-challenges-in-indian-country\/mariettagreenleonagopher\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-15391\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-attachment-id=\"15391\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/08\/30\/news21-covid-19-pandemic-exposes-many-challenges-in-indian-country\/mariettagreenleonagopher\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/30\/MariettaGreenLeonaGopher.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2000,1333\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;5.6&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Beth Wallis&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS R&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Marietta Green (left) and Leona Gopher (right) protest outside the tribal administration building on the Blackfeet reservation in Browning, Montana. Protesters called for transparency in accounting for federal COVID-19 relief funding. (Beth Wallis\/News21)&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1624282332&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;24&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;160&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.002&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Marietta Green and Leona Gopher\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Marietta Green (left) and Leona Gopher (right) protest outside the tribal administration building on the Blackfeet reservation in Browning, Montana. Protesters called for transparency in accounting for federal COVID-19 relief funding. Photo by Beth Wallis \/ News21&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/30\/MariettaGreenLeonaGopher-1024x682.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/30\/MariettaGreenLeonaGopher.jpg\" alt=\"Marietta Green and Leona Gopher\"   class=\"size-full wp-image-15391\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"figure-caption\"> Marietta Green (left) and Leona Gopher (right) protest outside the tribal administration building on the Blackfeet Nation in Browning, Montana. Protesters called for transparency in accounting for federal COVID-19 relief funding. Photo by Beth Wallis \/ News21<\/figcaption>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nBusiness Council members, including current tribal Chairman Timothy Davis and Blackfeet public information officer James McNeely did not return multiple requests for comment about how CARES Act funds were spent.<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cI\u2019m tired of what they do to us \u2013 it\u2019s disgusting,\u201d Smith said. \u201cAnd all of our heads count for all the money they get. That\u2019s why I\u2019m down here protesting, because I\u2019m tired of it.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\nSmith lives in a two-bedroom house and raises three daughters and three grandchildren. She said she receives disability payments, and has lived in her house for roughly 38 years.<p><\/p>\r\nWith the onset of the pandemic, however, times have gotten harder. Smith said the $500 payment she received went to food, electricity and water bills, and gas for her car.<p><\/p>\r\nSmith\u2019s family drives two hours to Great Falls because she said the groceries are cheaper there. <a href=\"https:\/\/flatheadbeacon.com\/2020\/03\/21\/blackfeet-work-together-feed-kids-time-coronavirus\/\">Local initiatives<\/a>, such as buses that run through the reservation providing three meals for children each weekday and federal programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, have helped.<p><\/p>\r\nSmith also deals with housing problems. Her toilet is often plugged up, parts of the ceiling have caved in and gaping holes perforate the walls.<p><\/p>\r\nSubstandard living conditions and poor infrastructure, compounded by Indigenous communities\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ihs.gov\/newsroom\/factsheets\/disparities\/\">disproportionate rates<\/a> of heart disease, diabetes and other comorbidities, can make them vulnerable to COVID-19.<p><\/p>\r\n <a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/08\/30\/news21-covid-19-pandemic-exposes-many-challenges-in-indian-country\/richardhorn\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-15393\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-attachment-id=\"15393\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/08\/30\/news21-covid-19-pandemic-exposes-many-challenges-in-indian-country\/richardhorn\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/30\/RichardHorn.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2000,1333\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;11&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Beth Wallis&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS R&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Tribal member Richard Horn looks out over Badger Creek in the Heart Butte region of the Blackfeet reservation near Browning, Montana. (Beth Wallis\/News21)&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1624445132&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;24&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;100&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.00625&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Richard Horn\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Tribal citizen Richard Horn looks out over Badger Creek in the Heart Butte region of the Blackfeet Nation near Browning, Montana. Photo by Beth Wallis \/ News21&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/30\/RichardHorn-1024x682.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/30\/RichardHorn.jpg\" alt=\"Richard Horn\"   class=\"size-full wp-image-15393\" \/><\/a> <figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Tribal citizen Richard Horn looks out over Badger Creek in the Heart Butte region of the Blackfeet Nation near Browning, Montana. Photo by Beth Wallis \/ News21<\/figcaption>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nThe Blackfeet Nation had high vaccination rates, with more than 8,700 people on the reservation inoculated by August 11, according to the tribe\u2019s COVID-19 Incident <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Blackfeet-Covid-19-Incident-Command-112509410388334\">Facebook page<\/a>. There have been <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cutbankpioneerpress.com\/glacier_reporter\/news\/article_103c2b0a-de80-11eb-9905-5b59e9928736.htmlhttp:\/\/www.cutbankpioneerpress.com\/glacier_reporter\/news\/article_103c2b0a-de80-11eb-9905-5b59e9928736.html\">48 deaths<\/a> from COVID-19 in a community of about 10,000 people.<p><\/p>\r\nThe tribe is set to receive an estimated $81 million in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cutbankpioneerpress.com\/glacier_reporter\/news\/article_23b24cc2-de81-11eb-8147-eba61126255b.html\">funding<\/a> from the American Rescue Plan Act this year, McNeely told the Glacier Reporter. The Department of Treasury\u2019s Office of Recovery Programs said as of July 20, $13.2 billion of these funds have been disbursed. The second round of payments <a href=\"https:\/\/home.treasury.gov\/policy-issues\/coronavirus\/assistance-for-state-local-and-tribal-governments\/state-and-local-fiscal-recovery-fund\/tribal-governments\">is expected<\/a> to begin mid-August.<p><\/p>\r\nRichard Horn, an educator and traditional elder, lives in the Heart Butte community \u2013 a rural section of the reservation 26 miles south of Browning.<p><\/p>\r\nHorn said because of the expansive landscape of Montana\u2019s terrain and poor infrastructure investment in the community, Heart Butte experienced disproportionate effects from COVID-19, and the impact of federal dollars in the Heart Butte community has been minimal.<p><\/p>\r\nThe reservation\u2019s food insecurity rate is 69%, <a href=\"https:\/\/globalvolunteers.org\/food-insecurity-seniors-in-montana\/\">compared to<\/a> the national average of 12.5%, according to the Blackfeet Tribal Health Department\u2019s community health assessment from 2017.<p><\/p>\r\nIndigenous communities have experienced at least 2.2 times more COVID-19 cases compared to white people in Montana. Indigenous COVID-19 deaths are 1.7 times the number of white deaths, according to recent data from the CDC.<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cWe\u2019re a communal people and we seek tranquility and solace in each other,\u201d Horn said. \u201cIt was really hard because we couldn\u2019t mourn in the way that would be psychologically feasible to mourn because of this COVID. Everyone, I think, suffered more from that than even the actual losing of people.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"mt-1 mb-1\"><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block; text-align:center;\" data-ad-layout=\"in-article\" data-ad-format=\"fluid\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8411603009680747\" data-ad-slot=\"6394965691\"><\/ins><script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script><\/div><p><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"h5-responsive sub\">\u2018You have to report on us\u2019<\/div>\r\nHealth disparities affect Native Americans in urban settings as well. Roughly 70% of Native Americans reside in urban areas, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/minorityhealth.hhs.gov\/omh\/browse.aspx?lvl=3&amp;lvlid=62\">Department of Health and Human Services<\/a>, but most Indian Health Services funding is directed to tribal health facilities.<p><\/p>\r\nIHS received more than $1 billion in CARES Act funds. Of the $600 million immediately <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ihs.gov\/sites\/newsroom\/themes\/responsive2017\/display_objects\/documents\/2020_Letters\/DTLL_DUIOLL_04032020.pdf\">distributed<\/a> in April 2020, $570 million went to IHS and tribal health facilities, while only $30 million went toward the 41 health programs in the Urban Indian Organizations.<p><\/p>\r\nBeing able to provide specialized care for Indigenous people who live off-reservation is the obligation of the federal government, according to Kerry Lessard, executive director of Native American LifeLines, an IHS-contracted referral service.<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cA person\u2019s tribal citizenship doesn\u2019t change just because their address does, and so any trust in treaty responsibilities the federal government has to tribal citizens doesn\u2019t stop just because they leave the reservation,\u201d Lessard said.<p><\/p>\r\nAccording to Wendy Carri\u00f3n, director of health services at the Sacramento Native Health Center, roughly 46% of their patients have multiple preexisting conditions, making them vulnerable to severe effects from COVID-19.<p><\/p>\r\nCarri\u00f3n said the urban health program found its patients wanted information and care from officials who understood the needs of Indigenous people. It was also important, she said, to provide not only Sacramento\u2019s Indigenous populations with vaccines, but other races and ethnicities as well in order to protect the Native American community.<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cWe needed to focus on the Native community and make sure that \u2026 they have access to both testing and immunization,\u201d Carri\u00f3n said. \u201cBut in order to keep the community safe \u2026 we were able to talk to them and be able to expand it to the rest of the community.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\nAlso impacting the response to the pandemic is data collection and funding, according to Dr. Spero Manson, an epidemiologist and director of the Colorado School of Public Health\u2019s Centers for American Indian &amp; Alaska Native Health.<p><\/p>\r\nMaryland, for example, isn\u2019t tracking COVID-19 cases among Native Americans.<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cIf we are to understand the health status of the Native community and to make sure that interventions and funding are being what they need to be, you have to report on us,\u201d said Lessard. \u201cBut more than that, it is figuratively and literally saying you don\u2019t count \u2014 we\u2019re not counting you, you don\u2019t count.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"padding:56.25% 0 0 0;position:relative;\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/583134553?h=1f33f784e8&#038;color=e60000&#038;title=0&#038;byline=0&#038;portrait=0\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><script src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/api\/player.js\"><\/script>\r\n<figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Unmasking America (News21): <a href=https:\/\/vimeo.com\/583134553>Fishermen can be farmers: Yurok Tribe adapts to address food insecurity<\/a>\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"h5-responsive sub\">\u2018COVID-19 was an eye-opener\u2019<\/div>\r\nSome tribes have used federal funds to address underlying issues exacerbated by the pandemic. In addition to distributing COVID-19 relief checks to members, installing broadband infrastructure and building an emergency response center, the Yurok Tribe used CARES Act funds to address ongoing food security issues on the reservation.<p><\/p>\r\nThe Yurok Reservation is nestled along a stretch of the Klamath River in Northern California. The tribe, which has more than 5,000 members, was declared a food desert by the Department of Agriculture in 2017. The pandemic, as well as other crises in the last several years, has made tribal members aware of the ongoing food insecurity in the area.<p><\/p>\r\nForty acres of grassy meadows, daisy-covered hills, towering redwoods and huckleberry brush are becoming \u201cfood villages,\u201d which will comprise gardens, a commercial kitchen and tiny homes. This land \u2014 the ancestral land of the Yurok people \u2013 was purchased with the tribe\u2019s CARES Act allotment for $490,000, according to property tax records.<p><\/p>\r\nWalking along this land, Taylor Thompson, manager of the tribe\u2019s food sovereignty division, established in August 2020, said having a sustainable food source was important in case of a crisis.<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cWhat can we do to make sure that we are able to sustain ourselves in case of a large-scale catastrophe?\u201d Thompson asked. \u201cCOVID-19 was kind of an eye-opener that sometimes larger systems go down. So what can we do to make sure that we can help support our people through those tough times?\u201d<p><\/p>\r\n <a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/08\/30\/news21-covid-19-pandemic-exposes-many-challenges-in-indian-country\/ancestralguard-2\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-15403\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-attachment-id=\"15403\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/08\/30\/news21-covid-19-pandemic-exposes-many-challenges-in-indian-country\/ancestralguard-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/30\/AncestralGuard.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2000,1333\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;5.6&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Beth Wallis&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS R&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Members of the Ancestral Guard paddle out on traditional redwood canoes in the Klamath River on the Yurok reservation in Klamath, California. (Beth Wallis\/News21)&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1624095510&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;24&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;125&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.003125&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Ancestral Guard\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Members of the Ancestral Guard paddle out on traditional redwood canoes in the Klamath River on the Yurok reservation in Klamath, California. Photo by Beth Wallis \/ News21&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/30\/AncestralGuard-1024x682.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/30\/AncestralGuard.jpg\" alt=\"Ancestral Guard\"   class=\"size-full wp-image-15403\" \/><\/a> <figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Members of the Ancestral Guard paddle out on traditional redwood canoes in the Klamath River on the Yurok reservation in Klamath, California. Photo by Beth Wallis \/ News21<\/figcaption>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nThe Yurok Tribe <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pandemicoversight.gov\/track-the-money\/funding-charts-graphs\/coronavirus-relief-fund\">received<\/a> $40,181,881 in total CARES Act money from the Coronavirus Relief Fund. The money, in part, is being put toward food security.<p><\/p>\r\nThompson said the food villages would create sovereignty for the tribe by giving members the ability to provide food for themselves.<p><\/p>\r\nSammy Gensaw, a Yurok member, has been working toward food sovereignty among the North Coast\u2019s Indigenous communities since he was a teenager. Gensaw co-founded the organization Ancestral Guard, which teaches Indigenous youth farming and fishing, as well as provides families a sustainable way to obtain food.<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cSovereignty for me means that we have the ability to maintain and we have the ability to improve the system that we\u2019re part of, that our ancestors laid down before us to give us guidelines on how to provide these healthy opportunities,\u201d Gensaw said. \u201cSo when we say sovereignty, we\u2019re not just talking about political terms. We\u2019re not just using buzzer words. When we say sovereignty, we want our people to be able to make healthy decisions.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\nAs Gensaw paddled along the Klamath in a hand-carved redwood canoe, he talked about how the North Coast\u2019s Indigenous communities need to adapt to ensure food security and to protect their land and water. The Yurok traditionally fish, but moderate to extreme drought and a parasite <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yuroktribe.org\/post\/catastrophic-juvenile-fish-kill-unfolds-in-real-time-on-the-klamath-river\">spreading<\/a> in the Klamath River are killing off the Chinook salmon.<p><\/p>\r\nDrought and lack of healthy food prompted Gensaw to start the Victorious Garden Initiative and show that fishermen can be farmers. He said while the Yurok are traditionally fishermen, teaching youth to garden will provide a stable source of food.<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cWe\u2019re not just growing food; we\u2019re not just giving it to people,\u201d Gensaw said. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to revitalize the idea that these gardens are a piece of our culture, because often in Indian Country, traditions and cultures get muddled together. And in reality, these traditions are things that our fathers have done, our grandmothers have done and their grandparents have done and we\u2019ll continue to teach our children.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\n <a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/08\/30\/news21-covid-19-pandemic-exposes-many-challenges-in-indian-country\/phillipfrancisco-2\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-15397\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-attachment-id=\"15397\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/08\/30\/news21-covid-19-pandemic-exposes-many-challenges-in-indian-country\/phillipfrancisco-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/30\/PhillipFrancisco.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2000,1333\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Beth Wallis&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS R&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Navajo Nation Police Chief Phillip Francisco at his desk at the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety and Central Command Headquarters in Window Rock, Arizona. (Beth Wallis\/News21)&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1625677265&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;50&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;2500&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0025&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Phillip Francisco\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Navajo Nation Police Chief Phillip Francisco at his desk at the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety and Central Command Headquarters in Window Rock, Arizona. Photo by Beth Wallis \/ News21&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/30\/PhillipFrancisco-1024x682.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/30\/PhillipFrancisco.jpg\" alt=\"Phillip Francisco\"   class=\"size-full wp-image-15397\" \/><\/a> <figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Navajo Nation Police Chief Phillip Francisco at his desk at the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety and Central Command Headquarters in Window Rock, Arizona. Photo by Beth Wallis \/ News21<\/figcaption>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"h5-responsive sub\">\u2018We don\u2019t have that infrastructure\u2019<\/div>\r\nOn the Navajo Nation, there have been more than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ndoh.navajo-nsn.gov\/covid-19\">31,000 cases<\/a> of COVID-19 and more than 1,300 deaths. According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.census.gov\/tribal\/?st=04&amp;aianihh=2430\">2020 census<\/a>, 172,813 people live on the reservation, most of them Navajo. At times throughout the pandemic, tribe has used daily curfews, lockdowns and mask mandates to curb the spread of COVID-19.<p><\/p>\r\nThe Navajo Nation received $714,189,631 in CARES Act funding from the U.S. government \u2013 a 225% increase in funds from what the nation normally receives. As $1.86 billion in first-round American Rescue Plan Act funds rolls into the Navajo government\u2019s coffers, tribal officials are deciding how to distribute this new financial opportunity.<p><\/p>\r\nAccording to Navajo Police Chief Phillip Francisco, his department requested $36 million in resources from the CARES Act and received only hazard pay and personal protective equipment. He said he\u2019s hopeful this round of American Rescue Plan Act funding will address long-running infrastructural deficiencies and provide an opportunity for the department\u2019s \u201crenaissance.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\nWith about 200 commissioned personnel, the department is stretched thin from answering hours-long calls on rural dirt roads \u2014 often to homes so remote they don\u2019t have addresses, with radios whose signals don\u2019t cover remote service areas.<p><\/p>\r\n <a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/08\/30\/news21-covid-19-pandemic-exposes-many-challenges-in-indian-country\/navajonationpolicedepartment\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-15405\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-attachment-id=\"15405\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/08\/30\/news21-covid-19-pandemic-exposes-many-challenges-in-indian-country\/navajonationpolicedepartment\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/30\/navajonationpolicedepartment.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2000,1333\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Beth Wallis&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS R&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Navajo Nation Police recruits study inside the training academy in Chinle, Arizona. The academy is housed in two double-wide trailers, which limits recruitment class sizes. (Beth Wallis\/News21)&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1625695915&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;28&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;8000&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.002&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Navajo Nation\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Navajo Nation Police recruits study inside the training academy in Chinle, Arizona. The academy is housed in two double-wide trailers, which limits recruitment class sizes. Photo by Beth Wallis \/ News21&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/30\/navajonationpolicedepartment-1024x682.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/30\/navajonationpolicedepartment.jpg\" alt=\"Navajo Nation\"   class=\"size-full wp-image-15405\" \/><\/a> <figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Navajo Nation Police recruits study inside the training academy in Chinle, Arizona. The academy is housed in two double-wide trailers, which limits recruitment class sizes. Photo by Beth Wallis \/ News21<\/figcaption>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nTo adequately police Navajo Nation, <a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1ISYTSnsD4DAdKulDCIn1ptztjSvPhuP-\/view\">a study commissioned<\/a> by the police department from Boston-based consultant group Strategy Matters recommended boosting staff to 500 personnel, minimum. Ideally, the report said, staff should be around 775.<p><\/p>\r\nThe <a href=\"https:\/\/navajotimes.com\/reznews\/police-continue-to-occupy-condemned-building\/\">report said<\/a> the department must also expand its facilities to house more staff. Francisco hopes American Rescue Plan Act funds will help upgrade, among other facilities, a 71-year-old building with <a href=\"https:\/\/navajotimes.com\/reznews\/police-continue-to-occupy-condemned-building\/\">\u201cextremely elevated and significant airborne fungal spore counts,\u201d<\/a> a converted post office created after a station was condemned and a training academy made from two double-wide trailers.<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cThat\u2019s really the biggest drawback here on Navajo Nation,\u201d Francisco said. \u201cWe don\u2019t have that infrastructure and haven\u2019t had it for a long time.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\n <a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/08\/30\/news21-covid-19-pandemic-exposes-many-challenges-in-indian-country\/navajonationrecruits\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-15399\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-attachment-id=\"15399\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/08\/30\/news21-covid-19-pandemic-exposes-many-challenges-in-indian-country\/navajonationrecruits\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/30\/navajonationrecruits.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2000,1333\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;8&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Beth Wallis&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS R&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Navajo Nation Police recruits run on sand dunes for physical training in Chinle, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation reservation. (Beth Wallis\/News21)&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1625706499&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;70&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;100&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.005&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Navajo Nation\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Navajo Nation Police recruits run on sand dunes for physical training in Chinle, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation. Photo by Beth Wallis \/ News21&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/30\/navajonationrecruits-1024x682.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/30\/navajonationrecruits.jpg\" alt=\"Navajo Nation\"   class=\"size-full wp-image-15399\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"figure-caption\"> Navajo Nation Police recruits run on sand dunes for physical training in Chinle, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation. Photo by Beth Wallis \/ News21<\/figcaption>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nDuring the pandemic, officers have been enforcing curfews, operating educational checkpoints, distributing PPE and transporting arrestees to the hospital for COVID-19 tests before booking. Captain Leonard Redhorse of the Navajo Nation Police Department said officers often worked 16- to 24-hour shifts to cover colleagues who were sick or had to quarantine due to exposure. Officer vacation time was canceled because the department was stretched so thin.<p><\/p>\r\nThe silver lining of potential American Rescue Plan Act funding for his department, Francisco said, is something good that came out of a \u201cvery challenging year.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\nFor its members, the tribal government allocated $1,350 for adults and $450 for children to approved applicants. Navajo Nation Council Delegate Eugenia Charles-Newton said funds were used for a variety of needs, including installing bathroom additions, water cisterns, broadband\/cellphone towers and septic systems, and bringing electricity to more than 1,000 homes through on- and off-grid methods.<p><\/p>\r\nOne man, she said, bought a generator for his house \u2014 the first time he was able to turn on electricity in his home. A homeless single mother with three children used their checks to purchase an old travel trailer to live in. Charles-Newton said families were able \u2013 often for the first time \u2013 to purchase new beds and bicycles for their children.<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cIt was wonderful to just see that our Navajo people all had different needs, but they were all addressing it in different ways,\u201d Charles-Newton said.<p><\/p>\r\n <a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/08\/30\/news21-covid-19-pandemic-exposes-many-challenges-in-indian-country\/royslowman\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-15401\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-attachment-id=\"15401\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/08\/30\/news21-covid-19-pandemic-exposes-many-challenges-in-indian-country\/royslowman\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/30\/royslowman.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2000,1333\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;2.8&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Beth Wallis&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS R&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Roy Slowman, a Navajo Nation citizen, outside of his house in Red Mesa, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation reservation. (Beth Wallis\/News21)&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1625802073&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;31&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;3200&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.002&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Roy Slowman\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Roy Slowman, a Navajo Nation citizen, outside of his house in Red Mesa, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation reservation. Photo by Beth Wallis \/ News21&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/30\/royslowman-1024x682.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/30\/royslowman.jpg\" alt=\"Roy Slowman\"   class=\"size-full wp-image-15401\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"figure-caption\"> Roy Slowman, a Navajo Nation citizen, outside of his house in Red Mesa, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation reservation. Photo by Beth Wallis \/ News21<\/figcaption>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nRoy Slowman, who grew up herding sheep on the reservation, said he used his federal stimulus money to move from Santa Fe, New Mexico, to the Red Mesa region of the Navajo Nation for a job transfer. Slowman, a utility system operator for the Indian Health Service, moved into a hogan \u2013 a round dwelling common on the Navajo reservation \u2013 with no running water and a dirt floor used for traditional purposes.<p><\/p>\r\nEarly this year, his cousin \u2013 whom he considered a brother and who lived in a house on Slowman family land \u2013 died, so Slowman moved from the hogan into the house, which has running water.<p><\/p>\r\nUsing his tribal assistance check, Slowman traveled to the Midwest to pick up a reliable vehicle from his adult children that he could use to get to and from work.<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cI\u2019ve been away 26 years. And right from day one, I wanted to be here,\u201d said Slowman, sitting in front of his new house on the land on which he grew up. \u201cI have always called this home.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"h5-responsive sub\">\u2018The effects still linger\u2019<\/div>\r\nThe CARES Act and American Rescue Plan Act brought unprecedented levels of funding to Indigenous communities across the U.S., allowing some to address ongoing infrastructure issues exacerbated by COVID-19, including food security, water access and emergency response.<p><\/p>\r\nSen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, Senate Indian Affairs Committee chair, said more investment from the federal government is needed for long-term improvements of infrastructure in Indigenous communities.<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cIt is a shame that it took a global pandemic for us to recognize how these unmet needs put Native communities behind the eight-ball when it comes to health care and economic recovery,\u201d Schatz said at a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.indian.senate.gov\/hearing\/roundtable-discussion-concrete-solutions-building-successful-foundation-native-communities\">roundtable meeting<\/a> in June. \u201cAs Congress acted to address both, it became clear that federal investment in building new and updating existing infrastructure in Native communities was no longer \u2018nice to have\u2019 but actually essential.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Concurrent crises, including the coronavirus, have worsened food insecurity within the Yurok Tribe, spurring some to explore their own solutions. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/FoodSovereignty?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#FoodSovereignty<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Coronavirus?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Coronavirus<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/COVID19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#COVID19<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/California?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#California<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/News21?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#News21<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/r7szlBVueE\">https:\/\/t.co\/r7szlBVueE<\/a><\/p>&mdash; indianz.com (@indianz) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/indianz\/status\/1424797847501873163?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 9, 2021<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nFor Richard Horn of the Blackfeet Nation, efforts toward bolstering essential infrastructure continue while his tribe is recovering from the long-term implications of COVID-19. The trauma members of his tribe experienced from the pandemic, he said, will leave a lasting impression.<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cIt was a whole new learning curve and very traumatic,\u201d Horn said. \u201cWe had to relearn and rethink all of the things that made us close. We had to step away from it. And among the people in my community, the effects still linger.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\n<EM>This report is part Unmasking America, a project produced by the Carnegie-Knight News21 initiative, a national investigative reporting project by top college journalism students and recent graduates from across the country. It is headquartered at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. For more stories, visit <a href=https:\/\/unmaskingamerica.news21.com\/>unmaskingamerica.news21.com<\/a>.<\/em>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n<STRONG>For more stories from Cronkite News, visit <A href=\"https:\/\/cronkitenews.azpbs.org\/?utm_source=referral&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=client\">cronkitenews.azpbs.org<\/A>.<\/STRONG>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<HR><EM>Note: This story originally <a href=\"https:\/\/cronkitenews.azpbs.org\/2021\/08\/19\/solutions-and-struggle-covid-relief-highlights-complexity-of-issues-facing-native-people\/\">appeared on Cronkite News<\/a>.  It  is published via a <A href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative  Commons license<\/A>. Cronkite News is produced by the <A href=\"https:\/\/cronkite.asu.edu\/\">Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication<\/A> at <A href=\"https:\/\/www.asu.edu\">Arizona State University<\/A>.<\/EM><HR>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Indigenous nations across the country have experienced chronic federal underfunding, which has led to disproportionate impacts tied to COVID-19 through housing, employment, public safety, food security, health care and economic outcomes.","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15401,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,20,1,14],"tags":[869,1308,214,250,925,38,74,5,40,696,210,1942,511,249,24,1864,1867,213,91,6,37],"class_list":["post-15385","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-indian-trust","category-national","category-politics","tag-117th","tag-american-rescue-plan","tag-appropriations","tag-blackfeet","tag-brian-schatz","tag-california","tag-cares-act","tag-coronavirus","tag-food","tag-housing","tag-ihs","tag-kerry-lessard","tag-law-enforcement","tag-montana","tag-navajo","tag-news21","tag-sammy-gensaw","tag-scia","tag-senate","tag-urban-indians","tag-yurok","no-wpautop"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/30\/royslowman.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pcoJ7g-409","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15385","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15385"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15385\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15401"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15385"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15385"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15385"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}