Gabby Brown, gabby.brown@sierraclub.org
Oakland, CA -- The COVID-19 pandemic has put a spotlight on the environmental and public health burdens facing Native Americans across the country and the severe lack of federal funding for support and services. Native American communities nationwide have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Navajo Nation has a higher coronavirus death rate than nearly every state in the country. The Trump administration has been slow to dispense funding for testing, emergency public health efforts, and economic relief to Tribal nations, despite their treaty rights to healthcare.
Meanwhile, just this week, an ongoing conflict between South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem and the Cheyenne River Sioux and Oglala Sioux Tribes escalated as Noem threatened to take legal action against the Tribes if they do not remove highway checkpoints the Tribes have put in place to protect their communities from the spread of the coronavirus.
The HEROES Act, introduced this week by House Democrats, would provide much-needed relief funds to Tribal governments, but further action, particularly in support of Tribal health services, must be taken.
In response, Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune released the following statement:
“The Sierra Club is in solidarity with the Navajo Nation, Cheyenne River Sioux and Oglala Sioux Tribes, and with Tribes nationwide as they fight to protect their communities from the COVID-19 pandemic. Tribal communities, who already face disproportionate levels of air pollution and often have limited access to healthcare despite their treaty rights, are some of the most vulnerable in the country to the human health and economic effects of the pandemic. Tribal Nations have the right to implement policies designed to keep their communities safe. It is critical that they also have full access to much-needed federal relief funds. The Trump administration, Congress, and governors across the country must act swiftly to aid Tribal efforts to protect the health and safety of Native Americans.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.