Items

• 
  2021-03-12

  No Mask, No Garden

  The Desert Botanical Garden is a fixture of Phoenix area tourism. A botanical garden of arid lands, it's unique and draws thousands of visitors every year. Their social media emphasized the importance of masking during the pandemic, with the catchy phrase "Let's not get prickly about safety."
• 
  2022-10-30

  Silenced voices of the commoner

  The recent Covid-19 pandemic has had immense local and global ramifications, especially for us Victorians who have experienced the world’s longest lockdowns. It was a significant worldwide event which will certainly be looked back upon by future generations, just as we have analysed previous historical diseases, such as the bubonic plague. But how should archivists determine which sources, and likewise which voices should be permanently preserved within the historical record? Traditionally, an archive is a collection of documents that archivists have selected to be permanently preserved as sources for future historical or other forms of research. Initially, only scholars with an ambition to conduct historical research had access to archives, but their digitisation and free nature have ensured that anyone is able to access the documents they contain online. However, the process of creating both physical and digital archives is inherently flawed. Archivists have a formidable power to evaluate which sources are “worthy of inclusion”, and simultaneously which ones are not; essentially what compromises the historical record. Therefore, although archivists are characterised as unbiased and impartial individuals, they are inextricably influenced by “societal biases” in their decision-making, as they simply have to select what they personally believe will have value to future researchers. It has culminated in them privileging and prioritising the voices of individuals within positions power, which has indefinitely created “gaps within the historical record” through inhibiting the voices of those without it. Rodney G.S. Carter echoes the problem in asserting that the existence of archival “silences” is the “manifestation of the actions of the powerful”, which has a substantial impact on how marginalised groups produce and likewise form both social history and memory. Ariella Aïsha Azoulay has cautioned readers that “digital archives are no exception”. With this in mind, if we consider the 19-month impact of the pandemic upon Victoria, I am certain that archivists will acknowledge the voices of those within positions of power when determining what sources should be preserved. Of particular importance would be those of primary actors that shaped Victoria’s lockdown experience, most importantly the protagonist of the lockdowns, Premier Daniel Andrews (fig.1). Figure 1. Video of Premier announcing sixth lockdown, cited in Patrick Durkin, “’Recuring nightmare’: Victoria’s snap lockdown is the ‘new normal,’” Financial Review, August 5, 2021, URL: https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/very-concerned-victoria-faces-lockdown-after-eight-new-cases-20210805-p58g3o. I am aware of the threat of “information overload” both real and digital archives currently face with an abundance of available sources, but I would argue that the preservation of major political statements alongside previously supressed voices would be beneficial to any archive created surrounding the Victorian Covid-19 experience. A consideration of the experiences of marginalised voices would be imperative to a future historian, as it would enrich historiography by offering insight into the social-political dynamics of the event, and its psychological impact beyond official government and political documents. I will now consider the value of this “bottom-up approach” in capturing the Victorian pandemic experience from the viewpoint of the common man, me, a historically marginalised group within the realm of archives. I personally wasn’t too concerned about the first lockdown and its stage three and four restrictions as they would “flatten the curve” of infectious cases, providing our health system with the best opportunity to tackle the fast-spreading virus. Life as we know it changed though with only four reasons to leave home; shopping, exercise, caregiving, and work. The café I worked at had to shift to “take away only”, as many others (fig.2). Figure 2. The Food Republic Café, “covid update for customers,” Blackburn, March 23, 2020, URL: https://www.facebook.com/thefoodrepubliccafe. I was still able to work alongside my barista colleague and friend Max which was pretty good, and I was able to perfect my coffee artwork (fig.3). Figure 3. The Food Republic Café, “promotional post during lockdown 1” Blackburn, April 8, 2020, URL: https://www.facebook.com/thefoodrepubliccafe. I was also able to continue exercising and riding my bike, but I wasn’t able to see or visit any friends or family, which initially seemed like a fair sacrifice to make for the health and wellbeing of all Victorians (fig.4). Figure 4. George Vesnaver, Selfie on bike ride, April 10, 2020, photograph, Main Yarra Trail, Melbourne. However, after being continuously plunged in and out of lockdowns by the time the sixth one came about, I was very angry to say the least as representative within my covid journal entry (fig. 5). Figure 5. George Vesnaver, Covid Journal Entry, October 27, 2022, photograph, Kew East, Melbourne. Laura A. Millar’s observation that “the concept of evidence” must be broadened as opposed to its current restrictive and rigid format adopted by archivists has reaffirmed my belief that my experience and that of other regular people should not be forgotten. My sources may just seem like information to an archivist because of their form, but they are filled with evidence of this historic moment. Their eternal preservation within an archive would serve anyone wanting to write about the Victorian Covid-19 experience in the foreseeable future. For example, figure 2. would enable one to see how government information was disseminated via social media; the confirming and likewise conforming of political decisions. Figure 3. would reveal the way in which people adapted to Victoria’s first initial lockdown via humour, helping us remember attitudes towards the past event. Figure 4. would showcase a sense of normality during unprecedented times, through an ability to continue exercising. But most importantly the response depicted in figure 5. towards figure 1., a first-hand account of the psychological impact of the endless lockdowns instigated by those with political powers. Winston Churchill once said that “history is written by the victors”, so considering those with and without power survived the pandemic it seems only fair that all our voices should be recognised in the historical record.
• 
  2020-04-04

  HIST30060: Daniel Andrews' Facebook Post

  This is a screenshot of a Facebook post made by Daniel Andrews’ public page on 4th April 2020. This post exemplifies the Victorian Premier’s ability to co-opt social media trends in promoting his own political agenda. Popular in early 2020, the meme followed the template of “Good morning to everyone except,” followed by exclusion of a relatively a niche social group. This screenshot illustrates the subtle use of social media as propaganda by the Andrews government. Andrews’ social media pages are seldom thought of as such, as the skill of his social media team has allowed him to maintain a popular and likeable social media persona. In an age of ubiquitous social media use, the Andrews government has used social media very effectively to protect its legitimacy and justify its methods. For example, the screenshot highlights the use of guilt by the Andrews government to legitimise health restrictions. The government consistently stressed that the pandemic restrictions were for the benefit of the public and necessitated complete compliance. Those who rejected health advice were endangering the entire community and “putting everyone at risk.” This post therein encapsulates sophisticated government propaganda and the co-opting of social media for political purposes. I selected this post as someone influenced by the sophisticated campaign of government messaging. It lead me to resent rule-breakers and see the prolonged restrictions as a legitimate use of government authority to protect the public. As someone who entered the pandemic as a supporter of the Labor Party and Daniel Andrews personally, I no longer think the severity and length of the lockdowns were necessary. Yet, his social media presence certainly made him likeable, funny, and relatable at the time.
• 
  2022-05-25

  Iko the Smooth Coated Collie

  When the pandemic hit, there wasn't a lot going on in my house. I was living at home, working where I could/when I could (nannying, dog walking) and my parents had recently retired. My parents quickly turned into stereotypical teenagers, spending all day on their phones and iPad, scrolling through Facebook and playing card games electronically. My mom got sucked into a few dog groups on Facebook as she had always wanted a dog in retirement and to train this dog to be a therapy animal. It was her dream to take this dog to schools, hospitals, and nursing homes and provide much needed stress relief and other benefits that therapy animals provided. When I was a kid, we had a smooth collie name Stormy and he was a great family pet. When he passed away when I was in high school, my parents agreed to not get another dog until retirement (mostly my dad's request, my mom could have dogs all her life if it were up to her). Then COVID and there was nothing for my mom to do besides look at dogs on Facebook, specifically smooth collies. After much discussion and pleading by my mom and probably sheer boredom by my dad, my parents decided to get a puppy from Kentucky in July. We named this little one Iko and he came home rambunctious as ever. This brought a host of new senses into the house. First was the sound. Iko was never a big barker, but he did bark as most dogs do. I never saw this as a bad thing. Prior to Iko, there was no lively activity or accompanying noise. Also came the smells of a new dog. Miraculously, Iko came potty trained at 8 weeks (over achieving puppy from the start) but Iko had lots of hair and stirred up a lot of dust, thus making the house smell more like a dog kennel than our house before that was pretty clean (because there wasn't anything else to do during COVID besides clean). The final, and my favorite, sense that Iko brought into the house was the unconditional affection. With a new dog in the house, there were constant pets and puppy kisses which added a huge sensory stress relief to what was going on outside in the world around us. Iko Brough so many senses and such life into our home. He brought the youth out in my retired parents who go on long hikes with him out in the mountains of Utah now. Iko, the smooth coated collie, saved our COVID.
• 
  2022-05-04

  Erika Groudle Oral History, 2022/05/04

  Erika Groudle is a resident of Monroe, Washington. She lives in a tiny house with her partner on her mother’s property. In this oral history interview Erika discusses working with kids during the pandemic and her opinion on how they handle mask wearing. Additionally, Erika discusses her “pandemic garden,” caring for her grandfather, staying connected to friends and family during the pandemic, how she first realized the pandemic was close to home, and the realities of living in a state that not only had the first case and death of COVID-19 in the United States of America, but also highly publicized protests in Seattle. Interviewer: Jason Inskeep Interviewee: Erika Groudle
• 
  2020-04-08

  Neighborhood Sidewalk Art

  A few weeks into quarantine our neighborhood decided to decorate all the sidewalks and driveways with sidewalk chalk. This was a great way for the kids of the neighborhood to express themselves and feel a sense of togetherness, even though they were all apart. With the use of the neighborhood Facebook group, we were able to coordinate times for the kids to go around and check out all the cool sidewalk art and leave messages for their friends to read. This really made my son feel like part of something, as a kindergartener he was just getting used to being in school, and then after Spring Break he was not able to return to class and we had to get creative. This neighborhood art project was a bright spot in a very difficult and uncertain time.
• 
  2022-01-29

  Save our Children Tour?

  The anti-vaxxers are out in full force. Disguising themselves as Patriots dedicated to personal freedoms and, for some reason, the saviors of children? This Save Our Children tour harkens back to Anita Bryant’s homophobic “Save Our Children” movement in the 1970s but it’s unclear if they’re the same thing? No about page on their website. I find this disturbing that not only are people hesitant to get vaccinated, some groups are mobilizing to spread misinformation and disinformation about the vaccines as well. This comes in the tail of Neil Young’s ultimatum he delivered to Spotify about their hosting of Joe Rogan’s podcast. Neil Young and now Joni Mitchell have demanded that Spotify drop their music if they keep hosting Joe Rogan. Spotify’s stocks are way down since they chose Joe Rogan over Neil Young.
• 
  11/20/2020

  Joanne Jahkne-Wegner Oral History, 2020/11/20

  C19OH
• 
  12/12/2020

  Shawn Berg Oral History, 2020/12/10

  Shawn Berg was born in Milwaukee Wisconsin, and raised in La Crosse Wisconsin. Recently he moved to Altoona Wisconsin to begin his job as a service manager at Texas Roadhouse in Eau Claire. In this interview, Shawn discusses how COVID – 19 has affected his life personally along with how it has effected the local Texas Roadhouse regarding their employees as well as their guests that come in. Not only does he discuss the consequences for the employees, but he also talks about how the guests have reacted to the mask mandate and how the restaurant has handled it all.
• 
  05/09/2021

  Galina Pozharsky Oral History, 2021/04/21

  Galina Pozharsky is a Russian immigrant who has been living in Eau Claire for the past 10 years. We discussed her views on why she believes Covid-19 is not that big of a deal and why she believes the pandemic is at least partially politically motivated.
• 
  05/19/2020

  Trent Jansen Oral History, 2020/05/19

  An oral history interview with Trent Jansen. Trent discusses how family and friends have been impacted by the COVID pandemic. He also talks about how his day-to-day work life has evolved during the pandemic. Trent additionally discusses his views that it is time to reopen businesses and get people back to work. He theorizes that mental health issues caused by shutdowns will result in worse long-term issues than the virus itself.
• 
  2021-11-13

  Anti-Vaxxers in the Family

  I have a minimum of 2 resolute anti-vaxxers in my extended family. We try to avoid conflict but sometimes their ignorance is just too much for me to bear and I feel like I have to set the record straight. Here's a summary of what's going on in these screenshots from a FB post. 1. Great aunt posts a meme using the experience of the Polio vaccine to promote the COVID vaccine. (meme included) 2. Anti-vax aunt (orange) posts snarkily that in the case of the polio vaccine, it was only rolled out after 60 years of research. 3. I step in (as a historian of public health) and comment that she's mistaken, the polio vaccine went from lab to roll out in 25 years. While mRNA (on which the COVID vax is based) was first discovered in a lab 35 years ago so it stands to reason that the amount of time between lab and roll out is similar. 4. Meanwhile... anti-vax second cousin (purple- daughter of great aunt who made the original post and also resolutely anti-vax) tags anti-vax aunt (orange) and says "amen." as in... she lends her support 5. Anti-vax aunt (orange) responds to my initial rebuff in #3 and says "wrong. it took 35 years to discover it was a virus" (as if that, added to the 25 years of development constitutes 60 years of "research" 6. I step back in and repeat... polio vaccine research began in 1930, and it rolled out in the US in 1954. Surely she doesn't want to go back to the "good old days" when it took 30 years to discover whether something was a virus, really...?? 7. I was wrong. Anti-vax aunt (orangs) DOES want that. She says, "Yes, really" 8. pro-vax cousin (light blue-an oncology NP) comments "Wow. That's sad to think about" 9. Anti-vax aunt (orange): ? 10. pro-vax cousin (light blue): is we were not able to identify viruses like we can today. It's sad to think about all of the people that would die unnecessarily. This exchange went on but I just don't have it in me to continue with screenshots. Great aunt (original poster) chimes in and says she doesn't care what people's beliefs are but both of her daughters (one of them the anti-vaxxer in purple) families have COVID right now and she's in her 70s and was exposed to both and never caught it. She firmly believes it's because the vaccine works. Anti-vax aunt claimed she "didn't post a belief, she posted a fact" I said "no. you posted an incorrect fact that was skewed to make it look like the polio vaccine underwent 35 more years of research than it actually did and I corrected you." It's amazing to me that technology that has been in development for 35 years (mRNA) is seen with such suspicion because the virus it's being used with COVID-19 is new. So the assumption is that the vaccine is "untested" even though the technology behind it has a robust research history. I'm even more amazed by people who are anti-covid vaccine even though they had their full slew of childhood vaccines on schedule. I have two very close family members who refused to get vaccinated (different family members than the two distant family featured above) and they had all of their childhood vaccines. One of them even told me she fully expected that everyone who was vaccinated with the COVID vaccine will die in a few years or even "sprout dicks" for all she knows.... yes... It's imperative that we, as a society, figure out how to address misinformation and disinformation. Certainly, facts/statistics/"Research" are open to interpretation to a degree but much anti-vax info out there is politically motivated. It's not coming from scientists who spend their whole lives studying this stuff.... it's coming from PACs and anti-establishment groups who have beef with the US government and/or "Big Pharma" or Western medicine.
• 
  2021-08-14

  "Ways to Connect Despite Social Distance: Empower Ecuador"

  When being part of the program Empower: Ecuador at my school, we were preparing ourselves to travel to Guayaquil, Ecuador to be present with the families in the community. The families in the community were called our neighbors. Prior to traveling and meeting families in person, each person from the class was given a bookmark with a picture of a neighbor and a brief description of who they were. We were supposed to pray for the person selected and have him/her in our hearts until we meet them in person. Due to COVID-19, we were never able to meet these people whom we felt very close to and it was very sad. Therefore, we were tasked with the beautiful idea of writing letters to them about our prayers and best wishes for them in times of trouble. After a couple of months, I received a message through Messenger, and to my surprise, it was the person I wrote the letter to. She was thanking me for the letter and for how happy she felt when she received it. Also, she shared the desire to get to know me more through social media. It was a beautiful moment and proof of how we could connect with each other despite the social distance. To express this story I am sharing a screenshot of a conversation through Facebook (messenger) with a neighbor from Guayaquil, Ecuador. She is telling me that she received the letter I sent and how grateful she is for it.
• 
  2020-03-28T19:52

  Technology Fun During Pandemic

  The photo I am submitting is a screenshot of a Facebook video call with a few of my family members. My family has always been very close. We are a loud and very big Puerto Rican family that enjoys our get togethers as much as possible. Over the last few years, people have scattered about the country, making it harder for all of us to get together. One things this pandemic enabled us to do was to communicate and gather together via online video platforms. As my aunts and uncle turned to facetime and facebook video calling in order to check in on my cousins and I, it actually gave us room to gather more than we had been pre-covid. When the world move to technology and zooms to bridge the gap of human face-to-face interaction, people got closer while being further apart.
• 
  2021-05

  Reopening too Soon

  In many states, the government seemingly ended mask mandates and opened back up in one day. Washington State lifted mask mandates and reopened everything at 100% only to reinstate mask mandates and reduce compacity a few weeks later. This has lead to the meme of everything is on fire but let's just reopen anyways.
• 
  0017-01-17

  A new idea of delicates

  Finding humor during the pandemic has been hard, but we still find our way. Washing delicates turned into washing masks during the pandemic.
• 
  2020-04-08

  Keeping Concerts Alive

  The pandemic forfeited any chance of attending that concert or planned music festival. Although online meetings weren't anyone's favorite, the switch from in-person concerts to Instagram and Facebook live concerts was a success. These quarantine concerts were able to keep the public entertained in their homes while keeping the spirit of live music alive.
• 
  2021-08-20

  School District Facebook Post

  This is a Facebook post from Cypress-Fairbanks ISD prior to the start of the 2021-2022 academic year. Cypress Fairbanks ISD (CFISD) is the 3rd largest public school district in the state of Texas and faced a lot of scrutiny for not enforcing a mask mandate. Their reasoning was due in part to Governor Greg Abbott ending the mask mandate in the state of Texas. CFISD released many of these "Fact Checking" posts to assure parents and the community that COVID safety was still a top priority.
• 
  2020-12-03

  COVID-19 Restrictions in Puerto Rico in English in December 2020

  From the "Friends of Rincon" Facebook page, Marysol Cuevas, a realtor in Rincon, shares the December 2020 Covid-19 restrictions in English. The comments show that people were grateful to have access to the new restrictions in English. The restrictions read: 🏠 Curfew is from 9pm until 5am. Sunday is a "lock-down" day - you are only permitted out for emergencies 🍺 Dry-law (no alcohol sales) in effect 5am Saturdays until 7am Mondays. Restaurants are permitted to serve alcohol at tables on Saturdays 🛒 On Sundays, only supermarkets, pharmacies, gas stations, hardware stores, a...
• 
  2021-09-20

  Vaccine Doubters

  I have a screenshot of several anti-vax debates from my town's FB group. The poster was against vaccinating kids.
• 
  2021-10-04

  Thank you but... Get Out!

  While perusing facebook, I came across this meme about healthcare workers being threatened with termination if they refuse to get vaccinated.
• 
  2021-04-17

  Hell-spot at Port Republic

  In February I registered for the 1st Minnesota living history event organized by the Liberty Rifles. The idea behind it was that we would create an interactive living history event in conjunction with the National Park Service for the public at the Gettysburg battlefield. At the time, I hadn't been apart of an authentic event before, nor had I been to Gettysburg, so I was really excited for the event. I spent something like $800 improving my impression and so that I could be sure I met the uniform standards and guidelines. Unfortunately, two months before the event the NPS canceled it over Covid concerns. Needless to say, everyone was pretty bummed about it, but the LR event organizers had a plan B event in mind, so a few days after the news of Gettysburg being canceled we were told about the Hell Spot at the Port Republic event, and that we were going to portray the 1st Virginia Infantry (US). Covid cancelled a lot of events in the hobby, and for most of 2020 nothing was happening, much to our dissapointment.
• 
  2020-04-02

  False Rumors

  In Alexis Akwagyiram’s Reuters article named “African governments team up with tech giants to fights coronavirus lies”, she details how African countries are partnering with tech companies like Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp to ensure citizens are up to date with news on the coronavirus and prevent false rumors from spreading through these channels and eventually causing a spike in cases. In the article, Akwagyiram mentions how “false claims that garlic, beetroot, and lemons are an effective alternative to antiretroviral drugs' ' continued to spread in most African countries. However, those claims reached the African community here in the United States. My mom, a Ghanaian woman, trying to find ways to prevent herself from catching the virus, especially since she had to work during the height of the pandemic, found herself believing these said rumors. I remember entering the kitchen every morning to see her making a mixture of garlic, hibiscus herb, and ginger boiling on the stove and pouring them in cups for the family to drink. This daily routine took a toll on her health as she began to experience symptoms such as trouble swallowing, difficulty sleeping, and irritability after eating which her doctor later diagnosed as acid reflux. With my mom already having an underlying disease and being immuno-compromised, she had to start taking new medications to prevent the reflux from affecting her blood pressure. What was supposed to alleviate stress and prevent us from catching the virus, just brought more trouble to my family with us now having to worry about the effect of this new diagnosis on my mom’s well-being.
• 
  2020-12-31

  The Summer Your Librarians Became Youtubers...

  I am a children's librarian in rural Louisiana. We are approximately two hours away from all major forms of entertainment, so the library acts as not only a community hub but a place for children to learn and participate in extracurricular activities year-round... until Covid. Though our community hardly noticed the virus itself, the effects of being locked down soon took hold, and we were left with a community of children, families, and elderly people more isolated than they usually were. The depression set in. And my director had the fabulous notion to take what we did to the airwaves... Or rather the internet. Our seriously underutilized Facebook Page became the hub of activity, and overnight we went from librarians to Youtubers leading digital craft and art classes, Zoom creative writing workshops, and nightly bedtime stories. What initially began as a means to cheer up the children soon developed into full-fledged outreach. Local politicians, law-enforcement, and other community leaders read stories for us on our page as a means to connect with the people in our community. We did special digital story hours with schools once they opened back up in the fall, and also read stories to patients in the nursing home. Continuing with this train of thought, we partnered with our local American Legion Hall, which is located on a main thoroughfare and has large windows clearly visible from the road, to set up our annual "Christmas Around the World" exhibit (which features Christmas traditions from many different countries as well as Kwanzaa and Hanukah traditions) since there was no way to feature the display in our small meeting room safely. Every program was modified, digitized, and brought to the people of our community in the best possible way they could be... which turned the 'year of the plague' into a year of learning, cooperation, and ingenuity for us.
• 
  2021-05-14

  "Disinformation Dozen"

  This article discusses "misleading claims and outright lies about COVID-19 vaccines that proliferate on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter". According to the article, 12 people are behind the majority of the misinformation surrounding COVID and the vaccine that leads to conspiracy theories. Many of these theories have led some social media users to avoid the vaccine and ignore scientific facts. It is scary to think that such a small group of people are in control of so much of what we see on social media. What this small group shares and communicates to users are so widespread... I can't open a social media app without seeing some sort of conspiracy theory about COVID or the vaccine. We are so close to overcoming the pandemic, but this type of misinformation is holding us back.
• 
  2020

  Humorous Memes About Quarantine and Covid

  During quarantine I collected many humorous memes about staying at home and the problems that brought. All sorts of subjects were covered: cooking, getting along with your spouse/roommates, homeschooling the kids, learning to bake bread, being stuck at home, sanitizing, facemasks, people hoarding toilet paper, boredom, effects of isolation, etc. Here are a few of those memes.
• 
  2020

  Humorous Memes about Quarantine and COVID

  During quarantine I collected many humorous memes about staying at home and the problems that brought. All sorts of subjects were covered: cooking, getting along with your spouse/roommates, homeschooling the kids, learning to bake bread, being stuck at home, sanitizing, facemasks, people hoarding toilet paper, boredom, effects of isolation, etc. Here are a few of those memes.
• 
  2020

  Humorous Memes About Quarantine and Covid

  During quarantine I collected many humorous memes about staying at home and the problems that brought. All sorts of subjects were covered: cooking, getting along with your spouse/roommates, homeschooling the kids, learning to bake bread, being stuck at home, sanitizing, facemasks, people hoarding toilet paper, boredom, effects of isolation, etc. Here are a few of those memes.
• 
  2020

  Memes About Quarantine and Life With Covid

  During quarantine I collected many humorous memes about staying at home and the problems that brought. All sorts of subjects were covered: cooking, getting along with your spouse/roommates, homeschooling the kids, learning to bake bread, being stuck at home, sanitizing, people hoarding toilet paper, boredome, effects of isolation, etc. Here are a few of those memes.
• 
  2021-07-14

  Olivia Rodrigo arrives at the White House

  Olivia Rodrigo arrives at the White House to record videos promoting covid-19 vaccines. She'll meet with President Biden and Dr. Anthony S. Fauci. This Facebook comment feed shows a mixed reaction to President Biden's latest effort to get young people vaccinated.
• 
  2021-06-03

  My Covid Vaccine Experience

  These are the two Facebook posts I made the day I got my first shot and my second. I received the Moderna vaccine. As a teacher, I was able to get mine sooner than many others. Many people I know had (and still have) reservations about getting the vaccine. I believe in science. I believe in vaccines. It is disheartening and dangerous to see so many Americans throwing away an opportunity to protect themselves, their families, and their community because of politics. Science should not be political. The vaccine did make me feel ill, especially the second one, but it was temporary. I would do it a hundred more times if I had to. A friend of the family said they would not get the vaccine because, "What's in it for me? Even if I get Covid, I am young and healthy, unlikely to die." I found that statement alarmingly self-centered. Getting the vaccine isn't about you as individual as much as it is about you protecting your community and the world. As the saying goes nowadays, "Until all of us are safe, none of us is safe."
• 
  2021-04-17

  Represent like Elvin Fourfeathers!

  This photo was posted on the Social Distance Powwow Facebook page. Fourfeathers’s face seems to hold a thought captive. Was he going to say something to the photographer? What is he thinking? Would I even understand as a non-Indigenous person? What do the different pieces of regalia represent? Did the photographer take this pre-pandemic but posted now lamenting the loss of tribal gatherings? So many questions to such a beautiful photograph. You keep on representing Elvin. Teach us all.
• 
  2021-04-14

  Social Distance Powwow - Prayers for All Nations

  Social Distance Powwow is a Facebook page created so Indigenous Peoples can virtually powwow together. Bear Cadman, a member of Dine Nation, submitted this photo of him and wrote "Prayers for all nations. Prayers for peace and healing. Love will win. Prayers for all of you the 5 finger nation."
• 
  2021-04-18

  Social Distance Powwow - Native Pride

  Native Alec BigCanoe posted a photo of himself wearing his father's regalia on the Social Distance Powwow Facebook page. He looks forward to powwows starting again.
• 
  2020-04-13

  My first mask

  This is a photo of the first mask I bought/used when the pandemic began. I bought this mask a few months into the pandemic however, as I didn't feel comfortable leaving my house in the early days, I think I bought this around April 2020 if I'm not mistaken. I remember I was at Wal-Mart as my dad told me that they were selling masks there, at the time there was a shortage of masks and people were panic buying. I remember stores were packed, and people were almost exclusively buying toilet paper - I seriously think that's probably the weirdest part of the pandemic, people were also scalping toilet paper on Facebook marketplace, it was like a secondary currency (Not really but it was a precious resource apparently). They were selling masks at the register, in plastic bags for $1.49 I think; in all honesty I think I would of been better off not buying the mask but the atmosphere of panic kind of made me feel like an idiot for not having a mask. When I opened it up in my car I realized it was literally just a cut up black T-shirt; it was transparent, it didn't wrap around your face, it just hung there. Me being an idiot, I used it for a good solid month, it's a miracle I didn't catch COVID-19. I can't believe that they would sell that to people in Wal-Mart, I mean I think I was one of the only people who bought one so I can't be too upset; but still, people were desperate for any semblance of protection, and such a mega-corp like Wal-Mart felt fine profiting off of those anxieties. I'm not trying to insinuate that they should care, because they didn't get rich by being ethical.
• 
  2020-04-06

  Johnson and Johnson Vaccine Diary-Day 1

  DAY 1: On 4/6/21, I received a single dose of the Johnson and Johnson/Janssen vaccine courtesy of my university. Although out of my control, I was determined to not experience side effects. I woke up somewhat late, so I only had time to eat half a Cliff bar on the way there. I did not drink that much water either. I finished my shot at 11:46am. I don't really mind needles, but I will say that the vaccine shot hurts very slightly more than the flu shot. I think the needle has to stay in for longer. Nevertheless, it was just a short pinch, not bad at all. The process was very quick. After my shot, I sat in the lobby, where I was instructed to wait 15 minutes just in case I had a bad reaction. After my fifteen minutes were up, I received my vaccination card. Although many people do, I chose not to post it on social media. I carried about my day as usual. It was only around 9:30pm when I finally started to feel the side effects. It was ironic because right after I told my friend I felt fine, I felt the aches. Throughout the night, my body felt sore and achy, like I worked out the day before. Stretching made it feel better. At 11:30pm, I was getting fever symptoms. I was extremely tired and had chills, despite being told that my skin felt very hot. I kept shivering despite being wrapped up in a blanket. While I was uncomfortable, the side effects were more of a mild inconvenience. If need be, I could've continued to carry on my day. But it was getting late and I had an early exam the next day, so I decided to snuggle up in a blanket and watch videos until I fell asleep.
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  2021-04-05

  Greenlee County (AZ) Health Department's Daily COVID-19 Updates through April 5, 2021

  The Greenlee County Health Department uses its Facebook page to disseminate daily information related to the COVID-19 pandemic to its residents. The daily COVID-19 statistics are displayed as an image on the daily Facebook post, which allows examination of the department's content and messaging before and after the pandemic. Governor Doug Ducey declared a state of emergency in Arizona on March 11, 2020, which seems inconsistent with GCHD's daily posts from that period. Language on the GCHD posts consistently advised residents to stay home if they felt ill, rather than being consistent with Governor Ducey's voluntary Stay Home orders. For example, the March 30, 2021, press release to update a new active COVID-19 infection in Greenlee County reads as follows: "For Immediate Release, Tuesday, March 30, 2021, Greenlee County, Arizona. Public Information Contact: Steve Rutherford (928) 865-2601 NEW RELEASE - COVID-19 Positive Test in Greenlee County The Greenlee County Health Department is investigating one (1) new confirmed case of COVID-19. The case will put our current total at five hundred and sixty-nine (569) confirmed Greenlee County COVID-19 cases... We would like to remind the community to use masks appropriately when outside of the home, practice social distancing, wash your hands frequently, and do not go into the public when you are feeling sick, unless you are seeking medical attention." These updates demonstrate a significant dichotomy between the rural and urban experiences during this pandemic.
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  2020-07-19

  Queen Charlotte Lodge Shows Complete Disregard to Haida Indigenous Peoples

  QQueen Charlotte Lodge boats are filmed by Haida People racing through their waters and endangering traditional Haida fishing practices. When confronted by a Haida man, a QCL fishing boat captain informs them that these Indigenous People do not hold sovereignty over Haida Gwaii and further, accuses them of not managing their island properly. This is quite the irony considering the Haida have lived on this island for at least 6,000 years.
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  2020-07-17

  Haida Woman Tells Queen Charlotte Lodge They Do Not Have Consent to Continue Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic

  Haida woman Leeann Brown, reminds Queen Charlotte Lodge that they are not welcome on Haida Gwaii island during the pandemic. Many of the lodge’s boats are venturing too close to Haida fishing nets and traps which threatens their food supply. With such disregard to health of the Indigenous on the island, Brown explains how the Haida show their disagreement with lodge operations and reminds them that this land is sovereign to Haida Gwaii.
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  2020-09-22

  Mask Sign at Retail Store

  This image of a sign at a store, posted on Facebook, hit home with the woman who posted, whose daughter works for a retail store and had recently dealt with an extremely aggressive customer. While there is not information regarding where this sign was posted, many small businesses who want to protect their employees are posting similar messages to express their frustration with those refusing to follow mask ordinances and store policies. Stores and restaurants are often private property, meaning that even if states don't require precautions such as masks, businesses are still allowed to have their own requirements before allowing customers to enter.
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  2021-03-28

  Motherhood during a pandemic

  I am researching the unintended consequences of the pandemic. One way to find some answers is to learn what real people are going through. It is easy to find people’s thoughts about the pandemic on social media, so I took to my mom groups and found people willing to let me share their thoughts anonymously. In the first screenshot, a mom talks about how she is trying to stay positive through the pandemic. From losing her job temporarily, to missing her work and family, to missing simple everyday things like shopping, this mom is feeling the brunt of lockdown in California. It is easy to pick out the negative consequences of the pandemic, but she looks for positivity anyway. The next mom is worried about how her child is going to come out on top due to homeschooling. She wants advice on how to keep her son motivated and not give up when things get hard. There is no way to tell exactly how this pandemic has affected our kids, only time will tell. But there have definitely been some unintended consequences. This example shows that while we are parents and we love our children, we have no idea what the teachers were doing to help our kids through each class before the pandemic. Perhaps one consequence of the pandemic will be a larger respect for teachers. I plan to further use social media for my research, along with academic studies, and oral interviews.
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  03/13/2021

  Paul Jason Baker-Nicholas Oral History, 2021/03/26

  Paul Jason Baker-Nicholas gives an oral history interview about how COVID-19 has affected the LGBTQ+ Community.
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  2020-03-03

  NAACP encourages continued use of masks

  Everyone is so eager to get back to "normal". Everything is reopening, people are feeling safer, and politicians are being reckless. The NAACP and @DrChrisMD is urging people to continue to be safe and wear a mask. People commenting did not seem to think we need to worry anymore, maybe they are right.
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  2021

  Center for the Study of Racism, Social Justice & Health

  COVID-19 TASK FORCE ON RACISM & EQUITY. The site looks at the science and humanity behind the Covid-19 Pandemic through a social justice lens.
• 2021-01-28

  Silences in the Archive

  As I've been reading through the archive and seeing the stories shown, I have been struck by one important missing group from the narratives of Covid-19: Those who haven't taken it seriously. There are countless stories of people who see the wilful ignorance and even maliciousness of those who either don't believe Covid is important or is simply a hoax, there is little to no input from those kinds of people themselves. This cannot be blamed entirely on the archive, to be sure. Every contribution here is voluntary, and if you are someone who is already disinclined to believe that Covid is important then you are less likely to attempt to talk about it in this space. Moreover, as this archive was created by and shared among academics, it is less likely to reach people who largely only use sites like Facebook on the internet and exist in their own bubbles. There is also the point that giving a space and platform to toxic conspiracies is not exactly a great idea. We live in an age of alternative facts and wildly different sources of news and entertainment. Future historians using this archive will need to keep in mind that most of what is presented here is just one of the many realities people have been dealing with this past year.
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  2020-09-13

  QAnon Knows No Borders, even in Nova Scotia

  This article details a far-right political conspiracy and its existence in Nova Scotia.
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  2020-10-01

  "Hugs over Masks"

  This photo shows two children wearing shirts that say "hugs over masks."
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  2020-12-08

  Julie's Paint Party

  This photo illustrates how one Canadian business is hosting paint parties for those who are either beginner or experienced painters. These Zoom meetings connect people not only across Canada, but beyond where a community partakes in one of the most popular hobbies during COVID-19.
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  12/02/2020

  Flynn Connelly Oral History, 2020/12/02

  This oral history is a retelling of what it was like to attend college, graduate from college, and then hunt and find a job during the Covid-19 global pandemic.
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  2020-05-09

  "If Someone Shares the ‘Plandemic’ Video, How Should You Respond?" - The Atlantic Monthly

  The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated economic shock have created fertile conditions for the development and spread of conspiracy theories, especially about the nature of the pandemic. These conspiracy theories have begun to permeate the lives of many Americans, disrupting personal relationships through arguments and disgust. In an article for the Atlantic Monthly, journalist Joe Pinsker provides readers with advice on what to do if someone in their personal circle shares conspiracy theory videos, particularly the Plandemic documentary. Rather than be combative and insulting, Pinsker advises his readers to be emphatic and understanding. This allows readers to pivot the conversation toward addressing the conspiracy theorist's concerns, while also not causing them to be more entrenched in their positions. When these tactics do not work, however, Pinsker advises readers to give on them as a lost cause.