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Data – What’s the Story?

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The numbers are stark.
Last week Navajo Nation health officials reported six new deaths Friday and 180 new cases of COVID-19. That adds up to 1,590 known coronavirus infections across the Navajo Nation and some 58 deaths.
That topline number places the Navajo Nation at 45 out of 55 states and territories, ahead of ten other jurisdictions. 
What’s the story behind the data? 

This is Trahant Reports.

The state and territory data from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention includes three columns: Column A for the state or territory (which should include tribal nations, by the way); the number of confirmed cases; and the number of deaths. But if you insert a new tab, a filter for population, then the story grows even more significant. 
Welcome to the world of the denominator. As one source put it: ‘‘Physicians lie awake at night worrying about numerators. Epidemiologists lie awake at night worrying about the denominators’
As Indian Country Today’s Jourdan Bennett-Begaye reported “denominators are key” to understanding the big picture of COVID-19 in Indian Country.

What population is counted determines our understanding about how widespread the disease is and where it will go next.

Take the Indian Health Service “service population” at 2,562,000. That means the reported infection rate is 0.08 percent. But if you calculate based on the IHS user population of 1.662 million, then the rate is 0.12 percent. 
But that’s only the reported cases. We know this disease can be without symptoms and we don’t have enough testing to know how many people are really infected,
And that will be a much larger number.z
If you use the World Health Organization framework  and the IHS service population that means we will eventually reach 5,778 cases and 275 deaths. 
But numbers again are different if the 2010 Census with the American Indian and Alaska Native population at 5.2 million is used. Then the Indian health system could expect 12,017.2 cases and 572 deaths. 

But all of that changes if a different denominator is used. The problem here is that we know the Census undercounts Indian Country. We don’t know by how many people, though.

This is when that number is absolutely critical.

 

I am Mark Trahant

John McLeod in our Spotlight Interview (Country)

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Welcome to Indigenous in Music! This week Larry welcomes from Albuquerque, New Mexico. We have in the house from the SaPa toyack Cree Nation, country Blues musician Mr. John McLeod. He has been enjoying the success of the release of the 3rd album “3 of a Kind” and giving a taste of some of his new singles along the way. Here his music on Spotify

Music from John Mcleod, Cary Morin, Jamie Coon, Anachnid, Astrud Gilberto, Thana Redhawk, Jasmine Netsena, Chris Ferree, The Tao Of Groove, Young Medicine, Conrad Bigknife, Eagle & Hawk, Nathan Cunningham, Rellik, Jace Martin, Justinsayne N8V, Redbone, Leela Gilday, Carsen Gray, Leonard Sumner, Ed Koban, Irv Lyons Jr., Mike Bern, Twin Flames, Matt Comeau, Julian Taylor Band, CHANCES, QVLN and much much more.

Fund Litigation

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There are a lot of questions about the disbursement of an $8 billion fund by the federal government to tribes and Alaska Native corporations.
This is Trahant Reports.


The $8 billion tribal relief fund will not last long. More than 600 tribes, corporations, and even nonprofit organizations registered last week with the Treasury Department documenting what’s needed to at least partly mitigate the impact of the coronavirus. 

And based on the leaking of sensitive information, it’s clear the pool will be far short of what’s needed, likely less than ten percent.
There is also no clear indication from the Trump administration about the process. 
Will the release of the funds be public? What formula will be used, population, or land base, or employees? Or all three?
And will even the formula be a public document?
These questions are punctuated by the chaos of an $8 billion disbursement that could happen as soon as Tuesday with a completion date of April 26. 
Several tribes — including two in Alaska — have sued the Treasury Department over the issue of money directed to Alaska Native Corporations. 
The lawsuit says “COVID-19 is causing devastating harm in Indian country” and that Congress recognized the unique hardships on tribal governments. 
The Interior Department said Alaska Native corporations are eligible for the funding, pointing to a definition that includes them as an “Indian Tribe” in the Indian Self Determination Act. 
And most of the tribes arguing against funding Alaska Native corporations argue that money should be used to to support governments with a political relationship with the United States.
The Aleut Community of St. Paul Island says there is a middle ground. “A very workable solution to controversy (is) the authorization by Alaska’s federally recognized tribes for tribal organizations/consortia to receive funding on their behalf, if they so choose,” wrote Amos T. Philemonoff, Sr. in a letter to the Treasury Secretary.
Philemonoff makes the case to let the money flow up, not down. 
However in an op-ed published in Indian Country Today four leaders of Alaska Native corporations had their own take. “The law is clear. Our legal mandate as Alaska Native corporations is to support our Alaska Native communities and shareholders economically, culturally and socially,” they wrote. 
The federal court, like the spending program itself, is on a tight deadline. Once the money begins to flow any legal challenge could be irreversible.

Christopher Mike-Bidtah aka Def-I in our Spotlight Interview (Hip Hop)

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Welcome to Indigenous in Music! This week Larry welcomes from Albuquerque, New Mexico. We have in the house Hip Hop artist, writer and entrepreneur, Mr. Christopher Mike-Bidtah aka Def-I,” he has a new album “Deserted Oceans.” Listen on Spotify

Music from Def-i, Ariano, Ami Kim, Blue Flamez, Brandis Knudsen, Orishas, Yomil y El Dany, Elastic Bond, Joey Stylez, Carsen Gray, Tchutchu, XenOart, Centavrvs, Artson, Ana Tijoux, Bomba Estereo, Locos Por Juana, XAXO Nortec Collective, Stoik, Aleah Belle, QVLN, John Mcleod, Conrad Bigknife nehiyawak, Crystal Shawanda, Freightrain, Shon Denay, Dawn Avery, Centavrvs, Bluedog, The Spiritual Warriors, B-Side Players, Khu.eex, Justinsayne N8V, Cody Coyote, DDAT and much much more.

CARES

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The federal government is moving quickly to transfer $8 billion to tribes. So fast in fact that it’s making up the rules as it goes. And it raises a thorny question: Are Alaska Native corporations considered tribes?


This is Trahant Reports.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act or the CARES act will transfer $8 billion to tribes not later than 30 days after the enactment of the March 27th law.
So everything is running at hyperspeed.
National Congress of American Indians’ President Fawn Sharp, Quinault, wrote the Secretary of the Treasury Stephen Mnuchin and said the funding should be “distributed to Tribal governments.” However, she said the legislation uses a definition that lumps federally recognized tribes together with for-profit corporations created under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.
“It is important to note the distinction between Alaska Native tribal villages and ANCSA regional or village corporations,” Sharp wrote. “Alaska Native tribal villages exercise sovereign governmental authority over their lands and citizens, possess a government-to-government relationship with the United States.”
Sharp’s letter was blunt: “These funds will be critical to assist Tribal governments in withstanding the impacts of COVID-19.” 
If the 13 regional Alaska Native Corporations, and the 270 village corporations are included in the fund that would significantly reduce the funding available to 574 federally-recognized tribes, including those in Alaska.
A consultation letter Monday from the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Association went even further. 
“Please do not allow Alaska Native Corporations to be counted as Tribal governments under the CARES Act … that would be contrary to the plain language of the CARES Act, and it would allow for double or triple counting of Alaska Natives since members of federally-recognized Alaska Native villages are also shareholders in Alaska Native Regional Corporations and Alaska Native Village Corporations,” wrote Harold Frazier, chairman of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and chairman of the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Association.
Alaska Native corporations also have profit-making as their primary mission, not governmental services such as public safety, health, or education. Still, their businesses from telecommunications, fisheries, oil and gas support, to logging have been deeply impacted by the national emergency. 
The CARE Act the single largest investment ever made by the United States in Indian Country–  yet how that money will be spent remains a open question.
I am Mark Trahant.

Indigenous in Music with Joni Buffalohead of Bluedog in our Spotlight Interview (Blues)

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Welcome to Indigenous in Music! This week Larry welcomes from Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is the lead singer of the Rock and Roll Blues band “’Bluedog”. Joni Buffalohead will be in the house to tell us about the release of their 5th album “Take a Chance. Hear their album on Spotify Bluedog: Take A Chance

Music from Bluedog, Mike Bern, Tracy Lee Nelson, Angus Vincent, The Cody Blackbird Band, The Spiritual Warriors, David Huchfelt, B-Side Players, Irv Lyons Jr., Alan Syliboy & The Thundermakers, nehiyawak, Soda Stereo, iskwe, Wayne Lavalee, Tribalistas, Artson, MC Redcloud, Q052, Def-i, QVLN, Aterciopelados, Elastic Bond, Julian Taylor Band, Indian City, Shauit, Pura Fe, Cary Morin and much much more.

Quentin Condo AKA Q052 in our Spotlight Interview (Hip hop) – Encore

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Encore Presentation: Welcome to Indigenous in Music! This week Larry welcomes from the Mi’kmaq Community of Gesgapegiag, Quebec, Mr. Quentin Condo aka Q052. He has just released his new hip hop album “Qama’si.” You can find out all about him on our home page at IndigenousinMusic.com and hear his music on Spotify.

Music from Q052, Gina Loring, Alan Syliboy & The Thundermakers, Def-i, A. Billi Free, Axel Krygier, A Tribe Called Red, Tchutchu, Dapuntobeat, Centavrvs, Khu.eex, Bay Area, Flamingo Star, Darren Geffre, Iskwe, JUQ, Stoik, Aleah Bell, Toia, Blue Flamez, Artson, April Fresh, Nick Lone, Centavrvs, Shon Denay, Star Nayea, Indigenous, John Trudell, Kelly Fraser, Sandra Sutter and much much more.

The New Normal

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The corona virus pandemic is like nothing we have experienced before. The virus is new — and something we humans have no protection against — and so governments around the world including tribal governments are still trying to figure out how to respond.

This is Trahant Reports.

Why don’t people believe? Why the business as usual? And what will it take to change behavior?

Consider this math: California has a model that projects 25 million of its citizens will be infected by the virus over the next 8 weeks. That works out to 62.5 percent of the population.

And if California is a bellwether — as it often is — that means that out of 3 million people some 1.8 million people in Indian Country.

The World Health Organization and the CDC say mild cases account for 75-to-80 percent of the total. This is harsh, but that model means that about 500,000 people in Indian Country will get seriously ill or will die.

“It’s unfortunate that people are not taking this serious. Maybe it would be mass casualties that would really open people’s eyes,” Dean Seneca, executive director of Seneca Scientific Solutions. He told Indian Country Today and worked for the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention’s Office for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Support for more than 18 years.

Seneca knew the U.S. was going to face a pandemic, and especially when China had more than 20,000 cases.

It is a hard thing to do to shut down everything. No visiting. No shopping. Just sit and wait.

And here’s the thing. We may have to do this for weeks if not months.

In California normally congested freeways are wide open and city streets are mostly empty.

Clearly life is not normal. Yet a lot of people still are living in denial.

Sunday night Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, White Earth, announced on her Instagram page that she lost her brother to the pandemic.

“Almost exactly two months after we buried our dad, my brother Ron passed on Saturday,” she wrote. “To many, he’ll be a statistic: Tennessee’s second COVID-related death. But to me, I’ll remember a loving, older brother, uncle, father, and husband.”

Flanagan said several weeks ago her brother was diagnosed with cancer. “His immune system was compromised and he contracted COVID-19,” she wrote. “He fought as hard as he could but it was simply too much for his body. THIS is why we must #StayHomeMN.”

She wrote that someone feeling well could still be carrying the virus … “then you walk past the next Ron, my big brother, in public.

The new normal. I am Mark Trahant.

Sandra Sutter in our Spotlight Interview (Country)

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Welcome to Indigenous in Music! This week Larry welcomes from Calgary, Alberta, Sandra Sutter she is an award winning Cree Metis recording artist. She has a new album out “Cluster Stars.” You can find out all about her and here here music on her homepage at sandrasutter.com.

Music from Sandra Sutter, Anachnid, Orishas, Yomil y El Dany, Artson, Quese Inc, Supaman, Carlos Sadness, Bomba Estereo, Shauit, Sly Mestokosho, Midnight Shine, Bluedog, Chicha Libre, Leela Gilday, Janet Panic, Los Espiritus, Janel Munoa, Alan Syliboy & the Thundermakers, Eagle & Hawk, Shawn Michael Perry, John McLeod, Conrad Bigknife, Irv Lyons Jr. The Cody Blackbird Band, Chris Ferree, Elastic Bond, Ailaika, Aasiva, Thor Simonsen, Jade Turner, Twin Flames, Kelly Derrickson and much much more.

Pandemic

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There is nothing more important now than good science — and that means washing your hands often, staying at home and avoiding people.

This is Trahant Reports.

Our ancestors have faced smallpox, influenza, and war. Now our generation is looking at a pandemic that is disrupting our daily lives.

Things that we take for granted are on hold. Visiting friends, even family. Going to work. Or watching our favorite team or musicians.

The coronavirus spreads by contact, so when you meet someone who has the virus, they are likely to spread it. The math says that everyone who carries the disease will likely pass it along to at least two others. That’s a lot of people. And what makes this even more nasty is that you can spread this disease before you’re sick. So the idea of … if you are sick, stay home … is less relevant. We also know that coronavirus spreads more easily than the flu. Think of it as an infectious pneumonia.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic is new in so many ways, one that’s particularly dangerous for elderly people or those with chronic health conditions such as diabetes.

But the biggest concern is human behavior. Can we all adjust, quickly, so that we don’t spread it on? Can we stay home? Away from people? And this is the big one: Can we wait in line for medical help?

So we have been trained to go to the doctor when we are sick. We want to get fixed up as soon as possible. That’s normal.

Perhaps we even had contact with someone who tested positive.

Yet we should wait.

If we get sick, go to bed. Most people get fever and cough, sometimes fatigue or shortness of breath, and then recover in about two weeks. About 15 percent of the cases develop into pneumonia. The symptoms usually start slowly and often worsen as the illness goes on.

So if you are running a fever, experts say, assume that you have coronavirus. Stay home. Yes there will be a growing number of tests available but those should be reserved for patients who are high risk. Most of us should just go to bed and stay there until it passes.

The alternative is the entire medical system will be overrun and none of us will get the care we need.

This is not in our nature. We want to get healed. Now. But this is different. We should call the doctor — and even seek help if we can’t breathe.

This pandemic is different because we can control the outcome. We can shut down life — for a bit — and then limit the damage from this disease.

 

I am Mark Trahant.

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