Introduction
We have written in the recent past about the unique plight of First Nations that reside within the United States of America. They are sovereign nations within a nation. I have always been told through my own family oral history that I have Native American ancestry (Cherokee in particular). Perhaps that is why I have always been intrigued and interested in researching and studying the history and culture of the hundreds of Indian Nations that have their roots in the Americas. There are 570 federally recognized tribes in the US alone. Truth be told, I have always identified with my African roots, as that has been the most obvious part of my cultural and ethnic heritage. And quite frankly, it has always been emphasized in my family and community. Much like the black experience in the United States First Nations have had a sad and troubled history. In fact, there is a long history of black and Indian relations. A group known as Black Indians have a history that is inseparable from Native Americans. Racial prejudice, broken treaties, broken promises, murder, rape, poverty and widespread disease has been an unfortunate part of the Native experience in the Americas. The times we live in are no different. In fact, under the current political structure the problems in Native American communities seem to have been exasperated, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19 and First Nations
Navajo nations have been hit especially hard by the pandemic. A recent Newsweek article from May 11, 2020 stated that “the novel coronavirus has killed 100 of the more than 3,100 confirmed patients in the Navajo Nation, a Native American territory spanning 27,000 square miles across parts of Utah, Arizona and New Mexico.” This is a very high number in relation to the Navajo population. In fact, The Guardian reported that the Navajo territory has “the highest per capita infection rate in the U.S. after New York and New Jersey, two of the worst-hit states in the country.” What makes this even more tragic is that the Navajo nation does not have the same resources as New York or New Jersey to combat the virus. Native Americans continued to get the short end of the stick and were recently overlooked in terms of funding distribution. But thanks to a lawsuit filed against the federal government the Navajo was granted $600 million in federal funding to combat the virus.
Educational Resources for Learning about First Nations
One way to combat discrimination and prejudice against first nations is through the realm of education. In this way, teachers can be intentional about providing lessons that educate students on Native American culture and heritage. Here are some lessons on Native culture and history to get teachers started.
Lesson Plans
Native American Tribe Teacher Resources
Native American Heritage Lesson Plans and Student Activities
Native American Lesson Plans
Native American Lessons for Middle School Social Studies
Native American Lessons for High School Social Studies
Native American Cultures Across the U.S.
Native American and Alaska Native Heritage Month, Grades K-5
Native Americans Resources for Teachers
Native American Lesson Plans and Learning Activities | Studying Native American Culture At Home Or Classroom
Native American Tribal Cultures
Native American Heritage Month Teacher Resources
Celebrate Native Americans in the classroom
I wish that I could say that I am surprised to see that the Native people in this country are one of the groups most affected by this pandemic, but that’s sadly not the case. For ages they’ve been disproportionately affected in so many areas, including but not limited to poverty and human trafficking. It certainly doesn’t help that they are not being given the same treatment and level of concern or care as other areas of the United States during this pandemic. Reading the Guardian article, I was furious to hear how slow the federal government was to provide relief. This country has got to stop treating it’s native populations like second-class citizens.
The linked article from the Guardian is heartbreaking. Due to a lack of hospital beds infected individuals were sent back home. Many of the homes are overcrowded with multiple generations living together. Some homes are heated using fossil fuels which irritate the lungs on top of COVID-19 complications. Another setback for the Navajo is the higher percentage of children with childhood obesity, making them more susceptible to COVID-19 complications. It is hard to think of America as the greatest country on earth when things like this are happening.
I found this article to be extremely educational and alarming. I was shocked to hear that The Guardian reported that the Navajo territory has “the highest per capita infection rate in the U.S. after New York and New Jersey…” I was also sadden to learn the neglect they faced when combating COVID-19. I think that goes to show the racism toward the Native Americans in the USA. I also think that if not for the lawsuit filed to get the aid they you would be without any government assistance.
It’s heartbreaking to hear that the Navajo Indians are third in terms of COVID-19 infections and deaths per capita, behind only New York and New Jersey and yet fail to have the funds that these states have available. During a world-wide Pandemic it’s easy to think in terms of survival mode, and adopt a “me first” mentality, and not consider other populations.
However, we must always remember our history and make every effort to make sure that every person of every race has the same resources available. Why did a lawsuit have to be filed on behalf of the Navajo to receive Federal funding to fight the Corona virus? This should have been made available to the Navajo immediately.
This article was eye-opening for me. Often times as a country, I feel we neglect and forget about Native Americans when it comes to politics, economics, and supporting them. It’s infuriating to think that we killed their ancestors, stole their land, displaced them, destroyed their culture, ruined their lives, and then forgot about them. And what do they have to show for it? Tiny reservations of low quality lands? America did what little it had to to “make amends” and then swept them under the rug like it never happened. It’s infuriating how we treat them, and we’re all to blame. However, that wasn’t what what was eye0opening. That was just a fact we all know but choose to ignore.
What was eye-opening for me about this article was the effect of Covid 19 on Native Americans. These are people with low quality healthcare systems and no support from our government. How drastic could the effects of this virus be? Will they lose stories, taken to the grave with elders? How many will die? Who will be left crippled? Will their culture crumble as a result? How easy would it have been to support them? Could this have been prevented?
The treatment of the Native American people by America has been disgusting. Their history is tragic, haunted by hundreds of years of disease, violence, war, plague, and displacement. Now it’s time to start giving back what we took. If we educate the future generations about their culture and provide them opportunities for better lives, we can finally begin the process of healing and forgiveness, but this time the right way.
I am almost embarrassed to recognize that I was completely unaware of the situation with the Navajo nations. It is sad to think that a population that has been part of this country since the beginning and have fought to keep their native beliefs and culture alive had to file a lawsuit to be considered for funding to fight this pandemic that is affecting everyone around the world one way or another. Healthcare should be a priority for everyone regardless of color, race, gender, nationality, etc.
Unfortunately, we are selfish by nature. Often times we keep our worries to the point where it concerns us or affect us, but the truth is we will never be better humans, a better community, and left alone a better country if we don’t protect one another and our heritage.
Dr. Childs thanks for sharing this article and for helping on educating us on topics we usually do not think about.
It is surprising to hear that the Navajo nation received little help from the federal government after they have had such a high death rate. Many Native American tribes have experienced atrocious discrimination since the Colonisation began. Many non-Native Americans still don’t know much about the cultures and heritage of the hundreds of tribes across the country. If we could teach the public more about their cultures and traditions, we could at least help remind many of the discrimination these tribes still face today, like not receiving proper funds to address health issues until after filing a lawsuit.
I found this article to be enlightening. I was unaware that native american’s were not getting the same resources or funding that the rest of the nation is getting. I am glad they were able to win their lawsuit to be given funding to fight the virus. I have always felt like Native Americans were the least talked about in regards to racism. Looking back at history, they were some of the most targeted groups of people. “Trail of Tears” being a main example. I appreciate the advice to try and incorporate and shed light on the matter in future lesson plans. Even as an Art Education major I know there are so many lessons I can do to teach my students about the matter.
Racism is defiantly still a major problem, especially in America. Ive learned some things regarding racism towards Native Americans, but that was mostly all based around things in early American times when America was first “discovered.” I had no idea the extent of what some Natives go through, nowadays i believe we all relate racism just to what we see around us everyday, as in African Americans and Hispanics. Its mind blowing that the Navajo territory is the 3rd leading area of corona virus infection, yet the resources are so low, and had to resort to a lawsuit to get the funding/help they needed. I personally hope any ideas of racism will cease to exist one day, and hopefully in my future lesson plans, i can incorporate anything extra i can to shed light on some of the things that tend to go unnoticed.
It is very easy for humans to think only about themselves and what is affecting them, especially during times like this. The whole world is struggling due to COVID-19. People are angry at the government, at each other, they want things to go back to normal but are also scared. I hate to admit it, but I cannot say that I have thought about how this has affected groups of people such as Native Americans. I am very glad to hear that they have received funding to help themselves, and I will be keeping up with this subject more.