Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Arizona) serves as chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources. Photo courtesy House Committee on Natural Resources Democrats
Chair Grijalva Hosting Livestreamed Roundtable With Tribal Leaders on Federal Coronavirus Response in Indian Country This Friday at 1:00 p.m. Eastern
Tucson, Ariz. – Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) will host a livestreamed roundtable with Native American leaders this Friday, April 17, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time on the Trump administration’s botched response to the coronavirus pandemic in Indian Country. As Politico, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post and other outlets have reported, the administration has been slow to assist tribal communities since the outbreak began even though they are among the most vulnerable populations in the country due to decades of federal neglect.
Chair Grijalva is committed to maintaining engagement with the public as the nation continues to operate under widespread stay-at-home orders. The livestreamed event marks a milestone in congressional public outreach efforts and will be available to watch live on multiple platforms, including the Committee’s Facebook and YouTube pages.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Chair Grijalva
- Peggy Flanagan, lieutenant governor of Minnesota
- Jonathan Nez, president of the Navajo Nation, which currently reports the highest per capita infection rate outside of New York and New Jersey
- Michael Chavarria, governor of the Pueblo of Santa Clara, New Mexico
- Jerilyn Church, chief executive officer of the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board
- Diana Zirul, vice chairwoman of the Alaska Native Health Board
The final speaking list is subject to updates.
Chair Grijalva has played a leading role in Congress since the initial outbreak and has pushed for greater federal assistance for Indian Country. Most recently, Chair Grijalva sent a letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency seeking more information on how the multi-agency COVID-19 response will assist tribes in establishing medical response facilities and triage units.
In March, the Committee launched an online Coronavirus Resource Center at https://bit.ly/2WwiPjo that includes information for Native American communities and a special form for tribes to describe their coronavirus experiences at https://bit.ly/2IZFWur.
Event Details
When: 1:00 p.m. Eastern time on Friday, April 17
Where: On YouTube at https://youtu.be/a3smVe4dF5c and Facebook at https://bit.ly/34z1qsg