Items

• 2020-04-20

  Trapped in paradise

  I was stationed in Oahu when Covid restrictions went into place. The entire island shut down and, at first, it was fantastic not having to go to work and just hanging out on a tropical island. As time went on, people started to go stir crazy, when the local government closed the beaches and other activities that made island life bearable. When Covid reached its worst point, the Army stopped allowing people to move, so even plans that were months out were canceled. Having joined those who went stir crazy, the prospect of being stuck in Hawaii any longer than necessary held little appeal to my family and I. When restrictions eased a little, military moves were only possible if the place you were coming from and going to were having drops in cases. We didn’t know for sure that we could move until a few days before it happened. We were so excited to be getting out of Hawaii, we forgot about how disappointed we were that my next duty assignment would be taking us to Denver. I’ve been to Denver before and didn’t like it, but when we got off that plane, after being trapped on an island for the last year, it was exciting. Most of my children weren’t old enough to remember snow, so they were immediately excited about the change. I was happy to see real mountains again, but forgot about changing seasons. It took me a while to realize that I can’t wear shorts in December any more. Colorado, for being so liberal didn’t have much in the way of covid restrictions. It was refreshing, considering that in Hawaii everyone was still wearing masks for everything.
• 
  2020-08-18

  HIST30060: Negative Test Result

  This is a screenshot of a negative PCR test result from August 2020. At this time, test results would typically take 24 hours to process, with the government requiring that the patient isolate until they received the result of their test. I, like most residents in Melbourne, suffered a profound emotional impact from the bombardment of public messaging about the pandemic. The advertising campaigns by the state government as well as opinions expressed on social media suggested that a failure to follow health protocols would result in tremendous negative effects. For example, failing to get tested could be the reason that someone's grandmother died from exposure to the pandemic. With such high stakes attached to my everyday behaviour and compliance to health orders, whenever I felt even slightly unwell, it would trigger a barrage of intense anxiety. The health order to self-isolate for a week after a positive test result, as well as the Andrews governments' policy of reopening contingent on the number of positive test results in the community, further increased anxiety around any form of cold symptoms. To the day, this image evokes feelings of fear and relief. Something so mundane as a text message represented either a ticket to freedom or a binding health order. In this case, the text message represented a reassurance that my sickness was the regular, boring sort, and that I was not an accidental killer of grandmothers. It represents the use of everyday technology, both sophisticated and mundane, in the pandemic response.
• 
  2020-08-08

  Relearning to Cook

  I have loved to cook for as long as I can remember, but I had a few rough years and stopped cooking. With the onset of stay-at-home orders for the COVID-19 Pandemic, I went from 60-hour work weeks between my two jobs to nothing. My mind and hands were itching to do something, anything. As many of the grocery stores started to have supply shortages and I now had a much more limited budget; I had to get creative. So, I began to cook. I started slowly with fancy coffee drinks and eggs and moved to bread and pasta. Nationally people were baking bread so I thought well I’ve got the time I might as well try. What started as something I had learned to dread suddenly became my day’s highlight. I was cooking again! The dance of moving through my small kitchen. The clank of pots and pans and knives and wooden spoons in metal bowls playing in time to Otis Redding. The joy of tasting a recipe and nailing both the flavors and the serving size (many recipes serve 4-6, I live alone). It was truly a full-body experience. I soon realized that I hadn’t repeated any meals in about two weeks and decided to challenge myself to go as long as possible without repeating a recipe, if a meal required a repeat that portion simply didn’t count in my tally. I ended up making over 225 different recipes.
• 2020-07-13

  Running to Have a Feeling of Escaping Pandemic

  With no long commute time to and from school, running became something I did often. I would go to the park and look at the lake after my run to see the sunset. I got to appreciate being outside more and getting fresh air. To feel the breeze by my sides as I ran. was relieving.
• 
  11/02/2020

  Pamela Ross Oral History, 2020/11/02

  This interview was recorded as part of the COVID-19 Oral History Project, a project of the IUPUI Arts and Humanities Institute and The Cultural Ecologies Project.
• 
  2021-09-18

  Claire and AJ Oral History, 2021/09/18

  Explains our experiences within the COVID-19 high school years, our two years of upperclassmen experience. It's important to us because it happened to us during the most formative years of our lives, and we're reflecting back on it.
• 
  04/10/2020

  Community group donates masks to hospitals

  Members of Chinese American COVID-19 Relief AZ deliver thousands of masks to Banner Health medical centers, including this delivery to Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix.
• 
  2021-05-04

  Dreams Six Room Poem

  This is from an assignment in Paula Flynn's 5th grade class at Franklin Elementary School, in Santa Monica, CA. Hugs, relief, and happiness. Sunlight shining through trees at all angles. Laughter and chatter, both mushed together to create a beautiful moment. The wonderful aroma of food, once more able to be shared. Hope, joy, and love. Was the coronavirus caused for a reason?
• 
  2021-03-09

  Volunteer Vaccine

  My name is Erica Ruhland and I was a senior online during the Covid-19 Pandemic. I live with my two grandparents. Both are in their late 70’s, and because of them, I have been taking the pandemic extremely seriously. This year has been a constant battle of inner turmoil. My moral compass has been spinning for over a year now. The following has been some of the struggles and sacrifices I have made over the course of the year: Quarantining from my grandparents for 12 days in my room, multiple times Cutting my work hours to limit possible exposure Quarantining from my boyfriend for 4 months. I had several close calls where I had worked with someone who then tested positive for Covid-19. Each time it would send me into an emotional spiral of guilt. Guilt for working in a customer service job. But it was this job that was paying for my school and gave me health insurance. I couldn’t be without health insurance during a pandemic. But I felt a great deal of shame and guilt over my minimum wage job. I had already cut my hours down, but I was stuck between making a living and staying alive. The constant battles with customers, begging with them to put on a mask, or just simply having to nod when they denied Covid’s existence began to take its toll on my soul. This pandemic has turned me bitter. I have seen too many cruel humans refuse to help their fellow neighbors. A simple mask has the potential to destroy or save my grandpa’s life. HandsOn Greater Phoenix is a volunteer program that helps find volunteers for several campaigns across the state. They were in charge of organizing the volunteer program for the “Vaccinate State 48” initiative. This is how I got the vaccine. The rule was, you had to volunteer at the State Farm Arena vaccination site for 8 hours and then you could receive the vaccine shot afterwards. After battling out for a volunteer spot online, I had secured a spot for me to help out on March 9th, 2021. From 6am to 2pm, I stood outside and directed traffic. I was one of the last volunteers people would see. After they received their shot, I would direct their cars out of the massive parking lot. I saw so many older citizens that day. Each time I couldn’t help but think of my own grandparents. As I waited in line, sitting in my car after volunteering, I felt a huge wave of emotion. It was a mixture of exhaustion, relief, fear, and joy. I started talking to the nurse and I told her that I was nervous for the shot but also really happy. This is when I began to tear up and cry. After the shot, I felt a huge weight lifted from me. All the sacrifices I had made to keep myself and my family safe, they were worth it. I had done my part to help not just myself or my loved ones, but my community, strangers that I may never meet again. My moral compass aligned North once more. I felt validated. I used the small power I have to effect a big change in my community. My bitterness began to fade. Even now, a month later, I still think about the other volunteers, they all believed we were helping effect great change and saving people. It was like a religion. I had been baptized with the vaccine. On that day I felt like I belonged to a church, preaching to the community. Our sermons were us showing the elders where to drive, and how to schedule their next dose. Our gospel was Phfizer and we sent missionaries out to spread the good news. My sign of piety was the sunburn on my neck where I had forgotten sunscreen and my vaccine papers. This sense of purpose and passion is I’m sure the driving force behind every religion. This pandemic has shown me the worst of people. I will not forget it. This pandemic has shown me the great lengths I and others will go to, to protect their community. I will never forget that. There is strength in a common goal. Vaccinate Sate 48.
• 
  2021-04-20

  George Floyd's family reacts to guilty verdict

  Hugs, tears and screams -- watch the moment George Floyd's family got justice for their loved one. Former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all counts and could be sent to prison for decades.
• 
  2021-03-21

  "The American Rescue Plan Act – the largest bump in child care funding since World War II."

  The pandemic has created an increasing issue in employment rates, and those with children to care for have continued to struggle. "Black and Brown women have lost the most economically, and women in general have been forced to leave the workforce." These women are forced to sacrifice even more just to have basic child care. Hopefully, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) can help financially support these families and services with "nearly $4Billion in child care funding" headed California's way. These funds are being split into two categories. One is towards the child care industry (including staff salaries, safety practices, and supplies), while the other is towards families and child care providers. The legislators are aiming to provide more equal policies and services to all Californians. It's in no way going to solve everyone's child care problems, but it's a start.
• 
  2021-03-17

  COVID-19 Arts & Cultural Relief Fund Distributes Grants To 52 Arts Organizations During Pandemic

  Performing and visual arts organizations in Denver, Colorado have received more COVID-19 relief funding. This newest round of funding, totaling almost $900,000, comes from the COVID-19 Arts & Culture Relief Fund.
• 2021-02-24

  The Coronavirus Affects Everyone

  I know that the Coronavirus has impacted everyone’s lives in their own way. However, I never thought that Coronavirus would impact my family and me in the way that it has. My dad was a very healthy, active person with a strong immune system who hardly ever got sick. Then, one night out of the blue, he got a high fever and body aches. My mom and I assumed it was just the flu and that it would pass. Although after a week of him being sick, he began having severe breathing problems and the ambulance came to take him to the hospital where he was later admitted that night. Due to high precautions, the hospital wasn’t allowing any visitors, and we couldn’t even send cards or flowers. After a few days, we heard from the doctor that he tested positive for Covid-19. It was an absolute shock. My mind was in shambles and I couldn’t grasp the reality of what was happening. They started him on an experimental treatment immediately. Unfortunately, my dad was always too weak to talk on the phone or text, so we barely had any contact with him and only got information once every afternoon when the doctors called with an update. We patiently waited torturous weeks to hopefully hear of some recovery, but the treatment exhibited no improvement and his oxygen levels continued to decline. Then, on April 6th, we got a call from the hospital saying that his inflammation levels in his lungs were rapidly rising and the medications weren’t helping. They were going to put him on a ventilator, but the doctors didn’t seem hopeful that he would be able to come off it. They gave us his hospital room phone number so we could talk to him and give him any hope we had to offer. From the very few words we got out of him during the call, he told me that he was in pain and no matter how hard he tried to get his body to fight back, the virus was just too strong. That was easily the hardest day of my life. I felt like I was going to lose my dad forever without having the chance to say goodbye. Having to comprehend the fact that I may never get to see or hug my dad was absolutely heart-wrenching. Suddenly, after weeks of prayers and different medications, his body was finally responding to the treatment. The feeling I felt when I heard those words was something I couldn’t and cannot explain. Within about a week, his fever went down, and his lungs were starting to heal. It was a miracle. We couldn’t believe how quickly he was progressing. The doctors did one final Covid-19 test, and he finally came back negative. Soon after that, he was discharged and finished recovering at home. Currently, he seems to be doing much better, but he still has a long road of recovery ahead.
• 
  2020-04-04

  Mural by Navajo graffiti artist, Ivan Lee

  This photo is included as part of an article about the Navajo Nation's fight against COVID-19.
• 
  2021-02-04

  IMF Myanmar Response

  Questions Reporter Asked IMF Gerry Rice [ Director, Communications Department, IMF ] concerning Myanmar COVID Relief Money QUESTIONER: In terms of Myanmar, recent developments in Myanmar. It seems that quite recently, just before the coup, that the IMF had given some $350 million and dedicated it toward it. I'm wondering what are your thoughts? First of all, what are the IMF's thoughts, obviously, on the coup? But also generally, how did the IMF react when there's a change of government in this way right after they've given money? Is there any -- how can you assure that the money goes, you know, for the intended purposes? That it doesn't actually support a now more military government? That's my question for today. MR. RICE: Thank you very much for that. We are, of course, very concerned about the impact of recent events and what they could have on the people of Myanmar, and we're watching it very closely, of course, like the rest of the world. Just to remind that, of course, Myanmar faced large economic and social costs as a result of the pandemic, and the IMF resources, our support was to help the people of Myanmar to meet these urgent humanitarian needs. That was the whole purpose. Again, just to set in context, the approval of this supports was back in January by our board and followed all standard procures for this kind of emergency financing. The same as we have done for another 84 countries in this crisis, and standard safeguards in place regarding the resources, including the repayment schedule. And as I think you know, the IMF's record over 75 years on repayment and safeguarding of IMF resources is very clear. In terms of the status of our engagement, we have had no communication at this point with the new regime, and that's about as much as I have at the moment on Myanmar. QUESTIONER: So I had a question to follow up on Myanmar. I'm just wondering, on what happens [next]? Do you have to wait until whatever government emerges to reach out to the IMF to see if there's going to be even a relationship with the IMF going forward? And, you know, some people that I've spoken with are suggesting that well, this is kind of a pitfall of these rapid disbursing instruments that have been used. The money goes out very quickly all at once with no or very few conditions attached to it. Is there any thought to changing that at this stage and, you know, just wondering what next steps are on this? Is it just waiting till the smoke clears to decide how we engage? Also, the military generals that were appointed, a new central bank chief who was the same guy that ran the central bank when they were in power. Is there some concern that the central bank will lose its independence? MR. RICE: Just on your last point, of course, the independence of central banks is one of the fundamental principles that the IMF believes in and supports so, you know, just to make that very clear. On your other points, clearly the situation is unfolding. In terms of recognition of the government as in other cases, we are guided by the international community, guided by the membership in terms of recognition of the government. So again, the situation is unfolding there but that's what guides us in terms of our relationship with countries. You know, what I'd say on how the resources that we approved back in January how they are used, clearly again, as I said, these resources were for a clear purpose, the crisis, the pandemic, the helping with the humanitarian needs there. And, of course, it would be in the interest of the government and certainly the people of Myanmar that those funds are indeed used accordingly. Under the arrangement that was agreed with the previous former government, there was indeed safeguards regarding how the funds would be used as is the case with all of our emergency financing. I've talked about it here before. That included audit and, you know, transparency of how the resources are used. And again, this is true for all of the emergency financing. So while there are few conditions, as you rightly say, there are safeguard provisions and it would be our expectation that, you know, regardless of the future that these commitments would be maintained. Because those resources need to go to support the people and especially vulnerable groups. So you asked finally where we’re thinking of changing. You know, again, we've been using these emergency financing instruments in 85 countries so far. I think they have been a huge help and assistance in the crisis especially to the poorest countries, to low income countries. And I think one of the reasons that they've been so effective and we've been able to get the support so quickly is the, you know, the conditions are relatively few. However, and again I stress, the safeguards and the governance of those resources is something that we give high priority to and each one of those has a set of safeguards. Whether it's audit or publishing of procurement contracts, you know, there's a whole series of governance related provisions that we have attached to these loans. These are very important and we're confident that the resources will be well used and for the purpose that they were intended in these emergency financing loans.
• 
  2021-02-08

  HERMIT HERALD, ISSUE 99

  COUNTRY DIVIDED
• 2021-02-11

  Vaccinated!

  Relief was what I felt when I received my covid vaccine. I felt even more relief when my 21-year-old daughter was able to receive her vaccine since she would not have been able to have gotten vaccinated until early summer. My first vaccine appointment was at 12:30 in the morning, and my daughter rode along with me to keep me company since I had to drive to State Farm Stadium. As we exited the freeway to go to the stadium, the parking lot where the vaccines were being administered could be seen, and I was surprised that it looked relatively vacant of vehicles. When we reached the parking lot, we were directed to follow the signs and pull up to the first checkpoint, where a person verified I had an appointment. At the second checkpoint, a person scanned in my appointment and asked if my passenger had an appointment as well. I told the person “no,” and they said, “we have had a lot of people not show up tonight for their vaccination, so if your passenger would like to get vaccinated, they are welcome to do so.” I immediately accepted the offer for my daughter to get her vaccination, and we were directed to another spot where she could fill out her paperwork for getting a shot. Once my daughter completed her paperwork, we were sent to wait in a line where the vaccines were administered, and after a five-minute wait, we had our first vaccine. After we had our shots, we were directed to wait in a line of cars for fifteen minutes to ensure we did not have any adverse reactions to the vaccination. While waiting for the fifteen minutes, an individual came to our vehicle and scheduled our second vaccination appointment, which was a huge relief since going through the computer system the state had established was cumbersome. What was surprising to my daughter and me was that while we waited during that fifteen-minute time frame, a nurse came by to ask us how we were feeling. We both said we were okay and stated we were surprised that we could get through the vaccine process so quickly and how there were so few cars. The nurse told us that many people were skipping out of their appointsments out of fear of rumored side effects from the vaccine, which was why there was extra serum for individuals like my daughter, who had ridden along. So I had the right schedule for the right night for my daughter to ride along. And now my whole household has been inoculated, which is a relief after three times of being in quarantine. Whew!
• 
  2021-02-05

  Democrats One Step Closer to Passing Covid Relief

  In a 51-50 partisan vote, the Senate Democrats inch towards passing President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion dollar relief package. The vote enables Democrats to move forward without fear of a filibuster blocking. There was little bi-partisan effort, but Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Susan Collins (R-ME) were able to strike a deal preventing high-income earners from receiving a $1,400 stimulus check. The bill is most likely to pass later this month after the Senate impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump is over.
• 
  2021-01-11

  How I Learned My Parents Were Getting the COVID Vaccine

  This is the way I learned my parents were scheduled to get their COVID vaccine. I don’t know what one they’ll get - and it doesn’t matter to me or them. They are 65 (66 in February 2021). My dad has a heart condition. I am deeply relieved that they were able to be scheduled to get one!! I am so grateful!
• 
  2020-11-25

  COVID Leaves Thousands Unable to Feed Families

  COVID has caused many to lose their jobs, impacting their financial stability. Many have to decide what they are able to pay for each week, one of those difficult decisions being if they can afford groceries or not. Food banks have been a life saver for thousands of families across the nation, providing them with food and relief knowing that they and their children don't have to go hungry. I have found my way in those long lines a few times, never thinking in my life before 2020 that I would need this kind of assistance. But, here we are, in my family some of us lost our jobs or were out of work for a long time. We are going to be facing the financial repercussions of COVID for a very long time. But, food banks like these have helped my family and many others alike worry about one less thing during these trying times.
• 2020-12-08

  College Basketball During a Pandemic

  Amidst this pandemic my college has been able to give me some sense of normalcy for my freshmen year of college. I was blessed with the opportunity to be able to go play college basketball at a small NAIA school in the middle of Kansas. So far this year I was able to start my season on time and we haven't had any run-ins with Covid other than one of our games was rescheduled due to the other team having a positive case but it has been my anchor though this semester. Everything is so strange now but I know as soon as I stepped on the basketball court everything melts away for those 2 hours. We don't have to wear masks around each other because we have created our own little bubble to protect each other and for that I am so so so thankful for. Like I said earlier basketball has kept me grounded. I moved 7 hours from home and going to college is stressful enough but moving 2 states away as a freshmen in college and during a pandemic?? Now that's stressful. Without basketball I would have dropped out of my school by now. This sport has kept me going because I know it is a safe place for my mind to let go of the stress that has built up these last few months and for that I thank God for protecting my team, school and conference from Covid-19 so we could have a somewhat normal season.
• 
  2020-05-31

  Holistic Heaux creates the Rebellion Aid Relief Fund in the wake of George Floyd’s murder

  I submitted this image because when George Floyd was murdered in my hometown while I was away , I felt powerless, unsure of how to help. Through social media I was able to see the tireless action taken in order to build up and preserve the hurting community. Small business owners Zedé and Zora Harut, of Holistic Heaux, are a fantastic example of such support. Along with other community organizers, Holistic Heaux collected funds to disperse and buy supplies for Black and brown women in Minneapolis during the unrest in the city. The program has since continued in an attempt to lessen the toll the pandemic has taken on mothers and children who are a part of a population that is much more at risk of becoming infected with the virus. The tireless work of the many individuals, like Zedé and Zora Harut and their business, Holistic Heaux, to provide relief throughout the uncertainty created by the pandemic and protests should be preserved and remembered for the positive impacts they have had on their community.
• 
  2020-10

  Pets, the Unsung Heroes: Grad School in Quarantine

  I don't know where I would be without my cats, Alvin and Cornelia. This year as been stressful on all of us, people dying, not being able to leave the house, unemployment, schoolwork, the list goes on and on. Without them and their cute, furry faces I'm sure I would have broken down a lot more often than I already have. Alvin (orange) is about 4 years old and is the most talkative cat I know, he's always meowing at us for pets and love. Cornelia (brown) is incredibly anxious, but that doesn't stop her from demanding cuddles when we're about to go to bed. They are a constant in my life, something I am so incredibly grateful for. They don't even know how they make my life better, they just offer the love and want some in return. They are truly the unsung heroes of this pandemic, at least for me.
• 
  2020-11-06

  Gardening During Quarantine

  I, like most people, took up new hobbies to help pass the time. I built this raised garden from random pieces of wood laying around my backyard and even began to compost. I planted two tomato plants that have since grown very well and all of a sudden there were these plants growing from my compost. It's been nice having this small project to help pass the time. When I need a break from online school/work I come to my backyard and check up on it. It's essentially a source of calmness and relief in the world right now.
• 
  2020-10-13

  New Economic Relief Bill in the Works?

  After months of talks about a second economic stimulus bill, one might finally make it to the senate floor. Democrats and Republicans have been fighting for months about the specific goal of this second stimulus. More economically conservative Republicans want a smaller, more targeted relief focused on helping small businesses. Both Democrats and President Trump have said that they want more relief, however Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other top Democrats worry that a second stimulus bill could give President Trump an edge in the upcoming election. A second bill is unlikely to come until either after election day or after the Presidential Inauguration in January 2021 if Joe Biden is victorious.
• 
  2020-10-06

  Trump Postpones Stimulus Check until After Election

  The main point of the news article is to inform those looking for a second stimulus check that it will be pushed back until after the election. I choose this article because it's important to a large number of people because the check is very important to many people’s businesses, families, and other things. It reveals how people struggle financially during this crisis as it can be hard to provide an income. Some bias against Trump, for trying to sway the votes in his favor. I think the media’s responsibility during the pandemic is to inform the public on new occurrences that manifest with the virus. It is also their responsibility to be a watchdog over other media sources and people. If any wrong doing happens it is their job to report on it.
• 
  2020-06-10

  Pets and their effect during the pandemic

  During the pandemic, to help deal with the new stresses my family decided to adopt a cat from a family friend. This animal actually helped to relieve some of the newfound issues that quarantine has brought on (fear, loneliness, etc.) . I feel this photograph is important because it shows a valuable tool that can help people to better make it through quarantine. It also helps to showcase the struggle I am going through in quarantine and what has helped to keep me going.
• 
  2020-04-20

  The Big Boys

  In the restaurant world, there are the big boys and the ma-and-pa restaurants. Shake Shack is one of the big boys, founded by Danny Meyer, so why did it receive 10 million dollars of the Small Business Relief Money? Glitches, confusion, and fine print. National Restaurant Association lobbyists fought for a provision that would allow funding to go to chain restaurants with fewer than 500 employees per location. The relief money now exhausted many independent and small restaurant owners were left out while chains got millions.
• 
  2020-08-03

  Staying active during corona

  As someone who is very active I found it hard to sit at home and do nothing, therefore I decided to pick up my tennis racquet and go hit.
• 
  2020-06-12

  "Care Boxes For Native American Households"

  "The Housing Department COVID-19 Project is issuing applications for Care Boxes for Tribal Members. Heads of Households only should apply for each address if you live in one of the following counties:..."
• 
  2020-05-16

  "Relief Payment Information"

  "The United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Council has declared a one-time, COVID-19 relief payment will be distributed to all enrolled, exclusive Keetoowah tribal members from the $24 million give to us through the CARES Act. Below are all the forms and steps required to complete the step by step guide to receiving funds."
• 
  2020

  "Free Food Boxes"

  "The Wichita and Affiliated Tribes in cooperation with GoFreshUSA will be issuing food boxes to the public..."
• 
  2020-05-15

  "The Wichita and Affiliated Tribes to Provide Tax-Free Emergency Relief to Tribal Members in Response to the COVID-19 pandemic."

  "The Wichita and Affiliated Tribes intends to provide some much needed emergency relief to tribal members in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Tribe's Executive Committee adopted a series of laws establishing new oversight infrastructure for its various benefits programs and approving emergency relief payments for tribal members and their families devastated by the COVID-19 crisis."
• 
  2020-06-04

  Hopes That Job Losses are Slowing

  Reported job losses are declining. The hope is that people can get back to work soon.
• 
  2020-05-28

  "Delaware Nation Official Statement"

  "Currently, we are working on emergency assistance programs that will assist qualifying tribal citizens. The guidelines and application process for these programs will provide the Tribe with the needed documentation to support our expenditures and keep us in compliance and good standing with the funding sources."
• 
  2020-06-11

  Manitoba Government Business Assistance

  During the pandemic and during this phase of reopening across the world, businesses big and small have encountered a variety of difficulties related to maintaining their ability to operate. In the province of Manitoba, the regional government is offering up a number of different programs specifically targeted at helping small businesses, getting people back to work, and providing a safety net in these uncertain times.
• 
  2020-03-16

  COVID-19 Extracts from Personal Journal

  Mid-March. Thinking about all the things that have previously worried me this year that now seem mild and hilarious: moving alone to Tasmania; starting my PhD at a new university and finally meeting my supervisors; turning 28 (haha, actually). Now: Global pandemic; getting really sick; my loved ones getting really sick; state borders closing and being unable to return home even if I want to; my loved ones getting sick and not being able to travel to see them; the economy is destroyed, again. Late-March. It is what it is. What a rollercoaster this year has been, and we're not yet three months in. I've been staying home in self-quarantine for a few weeks now. The days are distinct for twenty-four hours; in the mornings I can recall the previous mornings; the afternoons, the afternoons. Every day I wake around 10am, at some point I paint, make food, drink coffee, stand on the balcony and gaze at the view. At the dining table J plays Catan ("it's your turn"; maniacal laughter; the sound of sawing) while I read. B set up the gym in the spare room and is continually showing me exercises effortlessly, while I struggle on a single push up. We stack wood in the woodshed, B and I come up with names for movies replacing words with toilet paper in one of a million Facebook challenges to bubble up during a time when all we have is time, and after weeks of watching the PM’s announcements as a house, we have all gradually stopped paying attention to the news. What is happening in Tasmania? That's all we care about anymore. I call home and [my parents] are cheery, full of house-plans and routine amidst the uncertainty. Recently J and I were discussing how we have different word associations - prior to all this I saw virus as being inherently technological, a computer term; he saw it as a verb, something penetrating and spreading. He said he felt concerned that we all use the same term but we might all be meaning different things, so how can anyone authentically communicate? I feel that inherently at the moment. I have a wonderful Zoom call with D and D and they are jovial, laughing, but also patient and understanding with my PhD fog. (Sometimes I have to remind myself that I am doing one at all, and it zips back into consciousness with surprise: wait, you're doing it? Now? All you do is sit in your house.) University is at least some kind of consistency. I write to M and A, I paint zealous red gouache flowers on the envelopes, I run to the post box and hold my hand out in the air after touching the handle as though drenched with invisible miasma. J and I collect pine cones at the Domain. When strangers approach from a distance every part of me screams stay away! They seem to walk directly towards us, magnetised, a collision course, and it is always our job to duck and weave to avoid crashing. Crashing means ‘breathing near’. Mid-April. I ask J how many weeks it has been not leaving the house. "I don't know", he says."Four? Five?" We count backwards. I was free on my birthday; the last time I went out for anything was a week after that, Me Wah. J remembers. "At least you got to sit in a restaurant", he says. He remembers mine and B's conversation to the word. I sense his mind is doing backflips in the emptiness, while mine is hazy and soft, a kaleidoscope of dreaming and staring into the flickering flames of our fire, looking at the soft Ghibli rain over the city, staring into never-ending mugs of steaming tea. There’s no need to ever be fully awake. We watch movies B picks out on Netflix (Psychokinesis; A Quiet Place), sip homemade cherry liqueur. We share treats. Occasionally we leave the house in an anxious flurry. People either look nervously as we pass them in the aisle, or not at all; oblivious, they bang into other people, walk aggressively, lean too close. J is frustrated and rattled. "I'm really grumpy", he says, roaring his car into the street. B and I silently look for teddy bears in the windows of people's houses. In our neighbour’s window is a brightly painted sign, ‘Thank you health care workers!’ One particularly cagey afternoon (of golden sun licking the garden in early April, flecked summer shadows, all a warm 20 degrees) I walk. I walk around the Domain and lip sync to repetitive pop songs and take photos of the trees and a fat rainbow parrot, and I move into the dirt to avoid people, always watching, mapping trajectories and walking speed in space. I get home sunburnt and make a fluffy coffee, drink it in the sun on the deck while J pulls up our kale and spinach and gives it to me to munch, pops the heads of tiny caterpillars with his thumbnail. He leaves one for me to do and when I squish it green blood splashes like a poorly made film crime scene pool, obnoxiously overflowing. There are many places I could be during all this that would be worse than here. Mid-May. This is new. The pressure has completely released. I don’t feel on-edge for a millisecond, instead deeply slow and content and watchful. Given-up and exhausted. When I was deeply drunk I looked around my room tearfully (a clear theme these days) and touched my hand to the wall and thanked the spirits of this old house, whether they were listening or not, the echoes and shadows and fingerprints and DNA of those who came before, for having me, and for their care during this time. After the months I have spent within this house I can’t not anthropomorphize the walls. It was a wider gratitude - for the dappled sunlight on the plants on the ledge in the kitchen, for the depths of the crackling fire, watching it lick and munch at the dry logs, for the deep sea breeze coming up our street, for the view of the houses and the stone church and the pines and the mountain drifting beyond the clouds, for the thick fat roses persevering deep into the late autumn, for the brass-golden sun burning my skin lightly in the late afternoon, for everything delicate and rare and wonderful I have been contained with on this property. While coronavirus is rapidly disappearing in Tasmania (knock on wood, we say, tapping our knuckles on the table, and then on our own heads) the rest of the world is gripped in it. Domestic travel is looking possible by July, at the earliest - international not until 2023, so likely after my PhD is concluded. For now, the directive is clear: stay put and stay healthy and don’t spread. Inspired by the frontliners M is considering doing a two-year intensive nursing degree, so by the time we’re both finished perhaps the world will be opened and we can move around and see it. Who knows what the future will bring - and this year, more than any other, the year the word ‘unprecedented’ was thrown around frantically, this holds true. Late-May. Today was nice. I walked aimlessly around the city, bought a coffee from Two Folks and waited eagerly in the alley for it to be ready since only one person could stand in front of the register on the X-marked tape at any given time (the childish thrill of in-person commerce); bought soap from Lush and laughed with the girl with sky-blue ombre hair behind the plexiglass - “Thank you for keeping me in a job!”, she said. People on the street seemed ready to smile at the slightest glance. There is a relieved, selfish joy in the air. At night I drank a bottle of wine and watched It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and as I always have laughed at every dark moment, and things felt preciously safe in this tiny pocket of the world.
• 
  2020-06-01

  “Foxwoods Donations Will Help Feed Many During Global Crisis”

  “Foxwoods’ efforts during the COVID-19 crisis are part of a long-standing relationship with United Way of Southeastern Connecticut. Due to current global conditions, the food bank has seen a significant increase in demand, but a decrease in contributions. Foxwoods hopes the effort will aid the demand and inspire others who are in position to do so to help out their community.”
• 
  2020-04-22

  Public Service Announcement from Shoshone Business Council Vice-chair Karen Snyder

  “Thank you for joining us today and thank you for staying home. I speak to you today on behalf of the Shoshone Business Council and for those of you who don’t know me, I am Karen Snyder and currently serve as the Vice Chair for the Eastern Shoshone Tribe. First and foremost, the Eastern Shoshone Tribe sends our condolences to the families of those affected by the recent deaths on the Wind River Reservation due to the COVID 19. We extend our hearts and sincere prayers to the Wheeler Family and the Northern Arapaho Tribe. As you all know, these are challenging times and there is no playbook on how to deal with a global pandemic combined with a shutdown of the economy. Our goal today is to talk about some of the measures the Shoshone Business Council has taken and let our membership and all residents of our communities know we are very concerned and absolutely do not have all of the answers. One message that we want to send loud and clear to all of the listeners today is that COVID 19 did not start on the Wind River Reservation-- our tribal members were exposed through an exposure outside of our borders. Please do not place blame or point fingers, as that is the type of divisive behavior that creates barriers. I am a firm believer in unity, collaboration and open, candid discussions and that is how we flatten the curve and work to overcome this crisis.”
• 
  2020-05-21

  Indigenous Peoples Finding Solutions in Own Communities in Response to COVID-19

  "Indigenous communities are resilient, and, empowered with ancestral knowledge, organized communities, Indigenous languages, and their own forms of communication and media, they are taking action."
• 
  2020-04-18

  African governments mobilise to keep people fed during Covid-19 lockdowns

  "Lagos State Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu announced an Emergency Food Response as a means of supporting indigenous and other vulnerable persons."
• 
  2020-05-28

  Graduation Pains

  As I pondered the loss of graduation, I found myself not sad, but relieved, a feeling I imagine to be in the minority. I reflect on the feelings of someone who does not enjoy events like graduation and how its cancellation was a relief rather than a loss.
• 
  2020-04-30

  Alabama-Coushatta Tribe Donates to Helping Hands

  “The Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas presented a donation to Sam Houston Electric Cooperative’s Helping Hands program on April 29. Tribal Council Chairwoman Cecilia Flores presented the check to Sam Houston EC Chief Communications Officer Keith Stapleton. ‘The donation was made in honor of Jennifer Grubbs, and her service and dedication to our community,’ Flores said… ‘This donation is tremendously helpful, and will make an immediate impact for families in our area,’ Stapleton said. Sam Houston Electric Cooperative’s Helping Hands Program provides funding to help members in distress pay their electric bills. ‘The Helping Hands Program is especially important when so many local families have been impacted by COVID-19 and the April 22 tornado,’ Stapleton said.” #IndigenousStories
• 
  2020-04-27

  Spotted Cat Music Club Relief Fund for Musicians, New Orleans, LA

  Spotted Cat Music Club started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to support out of work musicians. The club details in their facebook post that they established a goal of raising $44,200, which is the bare minimum musicians working at Spotted Cat Music Club would earn in the month of April.
• 
  2020-05-11

  MACCNO Relief Grant Reaches Capacity, New Orleans, LA

  Music and Culture Coalition New Orleans created a low barrier grant to support local New Orleans culture bearers financially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This grant employed a referral system that prioritized assisting people over 70 years of age and those who were unable to secure financial support from other grants or the government. MACCNO ran out of funds for these grants on May 11th.
• 
  2020-04

  "I don't think that it has really affected it that much..."

  "I don't think that it has really affected it that much um other than a positive way. I mean it always uh ur it made me feel strong in my faith and to uh trust that you know my higher power has a plan and that we will be able to get through this um through the practice of my beliefs."
• 
  2020-04

  “Covid-19 hasn't directly impacted my faith or belief system so far.”

  “Covid-19 hasn't directly impacted my faith or belief system so far.” “I do not currently participate in a religious community.” “My… I don't have a current one however I have seen of churches gathering supplies for those in need and helping to take care of the elderly in their communities.”
• 
  2020-04-17

  Tribes Sue Over Distribution of Coronavirus Relief Funding

  "Several Native American tribes sued the federal government Friday, seeking to keep federal coronavirus relief for tribes out of the hands of for-profit Alaska Native corporations."
• 
  2020-05-07

  New Mexico Delegation of Legislators and Tribal Leaders Introduce Tribal COVID-19 Disaster Assistance Cost Share Relief Act

  “Under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Public Assistance program, emergency work, including Direct Federal Assistance, is authorized at 75 percent federal funding, leaving Indian Tribal governments responsible for the remaining 25 percent. Maintaining this cost share during the COVID-19 pandemic – as Tribal economies and health systems struggle – places severe pressure on Tribal budgets and limits critical resources that are desperately needed to protect the public health of Native communities. The Tribal COVID-19 Disaster Assistance Cost Share Relief Act would waive the cost-sharing requirement and grant 100 percent funding for all Indian Tribal governments.”
• 
  2020-04-29

  Tribes Were Supposed To Get $8 Billion In COVID-19 Aid, but Received $0

  "Tribal governments were supposed to get $8 billion in direct emergecy relief from the CARES Act, the $2 trillion COVID-19 stimulus bill that became law on March 27. More than a month later, they haven't gotten any of it." #IndigenousStories