The U.S. Capitol. Photo by Indianz.Com (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
Four people who identify as Native American have tested positive for COVID-19 in the District of Columbia, according to data released on April 7, 2020.
The coronavirus has affected American Indians and Alaska Natives across the U.S. Tribal nations and the Indian Health Service have been keeping tallies of positive cases since the middle of March.
But the District of Columbia appears to be among the first governments to report racial and ethnic data. The initial report came out on April 6 — there was 1 positive case of a Native person.
By April 7, the number of COVID-19 cases among Native Americans grew to 4. The number is based on cases confirmed through the day prior.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 1,900 people in the District of Columbia identify as American Indian or Alaska Native. Many are employees of the federal government — the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the National Indian Gaming Commission are headquartered in D.C. Others are employed in the legal field and with several inter-tribal organizations.
The District of Columbia is located in the homelands of the Nacotchtank and the Piscataway peoples.
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