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A lot has been written abt the impacts of Covid-19 on Native communities. But that’s only part of the story. This is moment where communities are drawing on cultural teachings to survive, as they have in the past. It’s also an import moment of Native cultural innovation. Thread.
Dr. Suzanne Crawford O’Brian writes abt the ways colonialism+diseases is impacting N8V religious life. She writes abt how traditional teachings, healing practices, care of elders, and respect for future generations is guiding Native responses to Covid. https://sacredmattersmagazine.com/covid-19-colonialism-and-native-american-resilience/
I’m my own work, I’ve been thinking about the connection between the epidemics brought by Spanish colonialism and the current Covid-19 crisis
One of the ways Native communities have responded to social distancing has been through virtual powwows. https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/05/08/852487751/how-a-virtual-powwow-helped-heal-a-spirit-broken-during-the-pandemic
Dr. Brenda Child (Ojibwe) explains that one of the important dances, the Jingle Dress Dance, emerged during the 1918 Flu Epidemic to bring healing. This was when Native ceremonies were banned.
Closer to me, the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe ( @MuwekmaTribe) has transitioned to virtual language+cooking lessons as the Virtual Verona Band. The previously recognized Verona Band are the ancestors the the Muwekma. https://www.vice.com/en/article/9357y3/bay-area-cafe-ohlone-preserving-culture-over-zoom
Vincent Medina is a Muwekma tribal member and cofounder of mak'amham ( @makamham). Mak'amham is revitalizing traditional Ohlone foods. They are transitioning to curatored food boxes after the closing of the physical location of the pop up restaurant. https://baynature.org/2020/07/29/the-cafe-ohlone-transition-in-its-founders-words/
Muwekma tribal members and allies have set up a GoFundMe page to raise money to help tribal members deal with the impacts of Covid. Muwekma is not a federally recognized tribe and cannot access federal funds https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/covid-19-relief-for-muwekma-ohlone-families?fbclid=IwAR0RmyYzQfVx1jf5j0Ot_8d7lTxF8SmXems8fq1nu1k-EYYeDYacCiH5SaU
As part of the Covid-19 relief work with @Religion_Cities, I spoke with of another local tribe, Amah Mutsun Tribal Band. They mentioned that cultural programs, wellness meetings, and tribal council are now virtual. http://amahmutsun.org
They also are focusing their attention to help tribal members deal with Covid. Like Muwekma, they are also a non-recognized tribe. They set up a GoFundMe to raise money to help tribal members https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/amah-mutsun-families-covid-19-relief
At the same time, Amah Mutun is working to #ProtectJuristac a ceremonial site from becoming a gravel mine. They recently organized a socially distant youth walk to bring attention to this issue https://www.protectjuristac.org/youthwalk/
Native folks are active in the struggle to protect their lands and the health of their tribes in the times of Covid, creating new ways to continue their cultures. As Medina put it, “Our people have always been good at adapting to changes, when we wanted to, on our terms.”
This thread was inspired by @Sacred_Writes. Thanks for reading. #SmartInPublic
