Federal Emergency Management Agency: One Tribal Nation Winning Against COVID-19
As they do today, ancestors of the Wampanoag Nation walked the land of present-day
In 1616, traders from
In 1620, the Mayflower arrived in current day
Following this first three-month period of mitigation efforts, the Mashpee Wampanoag helped the pilgrims regain their health. And in a twist of fate, today, both the Mashpee Wampanoag Nation and the federal government are working together to support tribal members struggling with COVID-19.
The care and protection of the Wampanoag people is as strong as any other nation in the country with more than 2,600 tribal members living in outlying communities near the tribal reservation. Before 'COVID-19' became entrenched in our language, tribal leaders were mapping out a plan. The Mashpee Wampanoag was the first Native American tribe in the region and second in the country to establish a COVID strategy. Before
Within hours of the Tribe taking action, Capt.
For the next few months, Andrews and Burpee worked around-the-clock.
Andrews felt the first step was to quarantine those infected. "One of the first things I did was to rent a hotel," he said. "I paid
The tribe's
That led many tribal members to seek Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) from the reservation. The Mashpee Wampanoag have an
For example, the
Although the Tribe's campaign efforts undoubtedly assisted in curbing an outbreak of the virus, it's inconclusive to know if any deaths were directly related to the pandemic. "Unless Tribal members are tested at an IHS clinic, there is no way of accurately tracking positivity rates among the tribal community" said
Non-IHS facilities do not ask for Tribal membership on registration forms, and even if they do, there is no communication back to the specific Tribe.
"So, any number of Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal members could have been tested and/or treated in any non-IHS facility across the country and the Tribe would not know about it, unless the person self-reports, which is not usually required and difficult to enforce."
With a second wave approaching this winter, the Tribe plans to be in step with the "new normal." A phased approach to the Tribe's re-entry planning is outlined in a document they developed entitled 'Resilient Comeback.' It details what this school year will look like, as well as how Tribal Court will function. Plans are underway for the distribution of COVID vaccinations and potential flu season occurring simultaneously.
As this pandemic sweeps the globe, Nelson is confident his tribe remains prepared to stay safe and healthy this winter. With
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