Through it all, Tribal Nations have effectively utilized the tools of Tribal self-governance to protect and lead their communities, setting a standard for all of our communities to follow. Even as they shouldered a disproportionate burden throughout the pandemic, Tribal Nations have been paragons of resilience, determination, and patriotism - implementing key mitigation strategies like testing and prioritizing the vaccination of Tribal communities at high rates in order to save lives. Early in the pandemic, reported cases in the Native American community were over 3 times the rate of white Americans in some States, Native American lives were lost at a rate 5 times their population share.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated preexisting inequities facing Tribal Nations. During National Native American Heritage Month, we celebrate the countless contributions of Native peoples past and present, honor the influence they have had on the advancement of our Nation, and recommit ourselves to upholding trust and treaty responsibilities, strengthening Tribal sovereignty, and advancing Tribal self-determination. Far too often in our founding era and in the centuries since, the promise of our Nation has been denied to Native Americans who have lived on this land since time immemorial.ĭespite a painful history marked by unjust Federal policies of assimilation and termination, American Indian and Alaska Native peoples have persevered. Throughout our history - though we have always strived to live up to that idea and have never walked away from it - the fact remains that we have fallen short many times. The United States of America was founded on an idea: that all of us are created equal and deserve equal treatment, equal dignity, and equal opportunity throughout our lives.
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