COVID-19 Bulletin for First Nations and Indigenous Peoples No. 6 -- Positivity in the Pandemic

#BreakTheChain Issue No. 6 Apr. 30th 2020

COVID-19 Information for First Nations COVID-19’s Silver Lining – Finding Positivity in the Pandemic This is the sixth in a weekly series, prepared as a free informational tool by Bimaadzwin Inc. Updated as of April

30th,

2020

(FortSaskOnline)

COVID-19 and the ongoing outbreak..

Flattening the curve – initiatives showing positive signs..

Good News Stories..

COVID-19’s Silver Linings..

In this Issue…

It’s OK to Slow Down..

Kids and COVID-19 Educational and Online Resources..

Craft Ideas..

Recipe Ideas..

COVID-19 is the disease associated to the novel coronavirus that was discovered in late 2019. On March 11th, 2020 – the World Health Organization assessed the COVID-19 outbreak as a global health pandemic.

What is COVID-19?

COVID-19 is a respiratory illness that impacts the lungs – and can be spread from person-to-person through droplets that leave an infected person when they cough or sneeze, and can stay on surfaces for an extended period of time. Symptoms of COVID-19 have included a cough, high fever, difficulties breathing, and pneumonia in both lungs.

Symptoms can take up to 14 days to appear after someone has been exposed to COVID-19 – and some may not present any symptoms at all.

The best way to protect yourself is to social distance – to stay at least 2m (6ft) away from other people, and to avoid leaving your house for non-essential reasons.

Ongoing COVID-19 Outbreak

There have been over 3.1 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 around the world, with over 225,000 deaths. In Canada, there are currently 50,373 confirmed cases– with 2,904 deaths across the country (April 29).

Cases: 04.29.2020

All regions of Canada are enforcing social distancing regulations. People are encouraged to stay home, except for going out for necessities like groceries or medication.

While going outside to exercise, do not use parks or playgrounds – stick to trails and footpaths. Stay at least 2m (6ft) away from those who do not live with you while out exercising.

People are encouraged to not visit each other’s houses – and to not allow visitors into their own homes. Although this distancing is difficult for everyone, it is a necessary step to protect the health and safety of everyone.

First Nations are starting to see spread – Walpole Island FN has now five confirmed cases; it is critical that people postpone travel to First Nations communities and respect local restrictions and regulations.

This is a challenging time for everyone. If you need to talk to someone – the Hope for Wellness Helpline (1-855-242-3310) is available in English, French, Cree, Ojibway, and Inuktitut.

Kids Help Phone (1-800-668-6868) is also available for those 5-29 years old.

Countries around the globe are facing similar challenges with the spread of COVID-19 – however, those countries who have enforced strict social distancing guidelines have started to see their curves flatten.

Flattening the Curve

Canada’s efforts appear to be working – and is keeping our health system from being overwhelmed – however, this cannot be taken as a sign to let up our efforts. We must continue social distancing, increased hand washing, and wearing a face covering to ensure that the outbreak remains under control.

This does not mean that we can let up what we are doing – it is simply a sign that what we are doing is working, and that we need to continue our efforts.

We are standing united – by staying apart.

Good News from the Pandemic

It might be hard during these unprecedented times to feel like there are any positives to a global health pandemic at all – but this isn’t entirely the case. There are a few silver linings to the COVID-19 outbreak, and it’s important to take some time to reflect on them – to remind ourselves of the good in the world – and to help ourselves feel a little bit better.

This issue is aimed at finding some good stories – and some helpful thoughts – to help us move through this time.

Bimaadzwin also wants to hear from you – and to share your stories!

If you have a story from home during quarantine, activity ideas that have been helping your families during this time, or even just a photo from your backyard that you would like us to share in this publication – please email Gerrit at gwesselink@bimaadzwin.ca to be included in a future issue.

It seems that all the news surrounding COVID-19 is negative – and that most of what we hear is talking about protecting yourself, washing your hands, and social distancing. To counteract this, Robert Shmerling of Harvard Health Publishing put together a couple positive reflections: Most people with COVID-19 recover. Even in the hardest-hit areas of the world, the majority of those who do get infected with the virus will recover. It is estimated that globally, 99% of those who contract the virus will recover! We do need to maintain social distancing to protect those that have other health conditions that might be more severely impacted.

Children seem to be infected more mildly, and less often. Public Health agencies have noticed that the vast majority of those infected so have been adults; and when children do get infected – they tend to have a milder reaction. For kids and parents – this is good news – however, its important to note that children can get the infection, and that teaching proper hygiene and cleaning toys regularly helps protect children.

COVID-19’s Silver Linings

The number of new cases are falling where social distancing is being implemented.

We’re seeing around the world that the implementation of social distancing measures, and the sudden collapse in worldwide passenger aviation has put serious breaks on the spread of the disease. Again, this is good news – but this isn’t a sign to stop what we’re doing. You don’t stop putting water on a fire just because you can’t see a flame – there may still be hot embers that need a few more moments to cool.

The internet exists. We have ways to practice social distancing and to still keep some of our social connections with those we care about. People in quarantine can see friends or family online – or even talk face-to-face with their medical professional from the comfort of their kitchen. Imagine we were doing this without Netflix..

Humanity is strong. At our weakest, we often see us at our strongest. When we cannot connect and be together the way we have always been – we see how our communities come together in different ways to make sure everyone is properly cared for. From food deliveries to Elders in Kahnawake, to neighbourhood singalongs in Lombardi in Italy – we’re seeing humanity come together in ways we haven’t before.

We’ll get better at this. Scientists, medical professionals, and even Bill Gates have been reminding people that we were not ready for this scale of a pandemic – and honestly, we weren’t. However, humans tend to learn from our mistakes – and as difficult as this is now, it’s good to be optimistic – and to work on building a better system for us to get back to.

The global COVID-19 pandemic has a lot of us sheltering-in-place at home, and with future travel plans still on hold, and no return to the office scheduled anytime soon – some are feeling like they’re getting a lot less done than normal.

Feeling unproductive is often a negative feeling – and can lead to more symptoms that are similar to depression – including it feeling hard to get up in the morning, to to find motivation to complete the day’s tasks. However – you’re only feeling negative about your level of productivity because you’re comparing it to the world we lived in three months ago – and this is simply no longer the case. It is ok to slow down during this time, to focus more on yourself, and to get a little less work done – plus, there are some good tips to keep you on track!

Exercise – If you didn’t already have a rigorous exercise schedule before the lockdown, you’re probably not going to start one now. Start out small, and work your way up – maybe it’s ten push-ups and ten sit-ups every two days – and take a walk on the days in-between. Then when that has become a habit, build yourself up!

It’s OK to Slow Down

Sleep – Waking up at 6am to get the kids out to school and you up to work may have felt easy in the past, but if it isn’t any longer – maybe go with the flow. Especially those with older kids who might naturally sleep in later; if you can be flexible with your work hours – ask if you can start at 11am and work into the evening a little bit – allow your schedule to match what your body is telling you is normal.

Work – (Personal reflection from the person writing this publication) Sometimes, I find it really hard to motivate myself to work when I should – and sometimes, the best solution is to let myself go with it! For example – I might wake up at 8am, but watch TV until 11. I’ll keep working until about 3pm, take a shower, eat, and do some laundry. Then I work again from 6pm-10pm, while playing a game or watching TV in the background. By the end of the day – I’ve still done a day’s work! I’ll admit I don’t have little ones to follow-up on, but allowing myself to be flexible with how I work maximizes how much I can do from home!

School – With most schools across Canada closed – many parents are wondering how they can fill their children’s time with activities that are educational; or how they can make sure they’re keeping up with the class’s curriculum. However, it’s important to remember that meaningful learning happens anywhere and everywhere – and an afternoon searching for pinecones in the woods nearby can sometimes be more educational than a multiplication problem sheet.

This issue will compile a number of family activities, educational resources, and even some recipes that might help you and your family during these times!

With so much negative news in the world – sometimes, we need a little moment of good news. There are two sources of good news stories that are filled with positive thoughts and some fun stories from around the world.

Good News Stories

‘SomeGoodNews’ is a new YouTube Channel started by the actor John Krasinski (from The Office) where he compiles fun and positive stories from the United States and elsewhere in the world for a weekly video report. Check out John’s weekly report here: Some Good News The Good News Network is an online news source that compiles positive stories from around the world – and has been covering the upsides of the COVID-19 crisis – their stories include a young boy’s ‘drive through joke stand’, and the story of a man who used his daily walks to repair historic headstones in the community’s cemetery. You can check out more of their stories here: Good News Network

With schools across Canada announcing closures through the rest of this year – many parents are struggling to balance their kids schedules with their own, while trying to ensure that they’re keeping up with whatever distance education is being organized by their school.

Kids and COVID-19

Some parents are finding that their children are reacting negatively to the changes around them – and are feeling scared and anxious. It’s important to listen, and to respond to their fears and emotions. Provide kids with honest and simple information, and try to stick to your routine – having predictability and consistency might help assure them that things are still normal, and that things will be ok.

Other parents are finding that their children are much more relaxed – and are getting along with their siblings easier! Some researchers believe that this is a result of there suddenly being less pressure and anxiety in their lives – these stresses are often caused by the classroom setting, and these kids are feeling much freer to explore, learn in their own way, and are able to structure their time on their own.

It’s important to talk to your kids, and to see how their feeling – change their schedule and their habits to better meet their needs and their personalities – and remember to work with them; this is a new challenge for everyone, your kids included!

There are a number of awesome online resources to help your kids stay up-to-date with the local curriculum, or to explore other ways of learning about new and interesting topics.

OxfordOWL – the children’s arm of Oxford Publishing – has put out a huge eBook library to help kids develop their reading skills at home while schools are closed. They’ve divided the books by age, series, and reading level – and can be found online here: Oxford OWL

Educational Resources

Provincial governments have also put out a number of educational tools for parents to download and print – or for kids to navigate themselves online.

Manitoba’s online portal – My Learning at Home – is super easy to navigate, and has learning activities that go beyond what would be in the classroom. With resources on how to create positive learning environments at home, everyday learning activities to include the entire family, and online resources that meet the curriculum by grade – it’s worth checking out: My Learning At Home - Manitoba

Alberta has also created an online portal – My Child’s Learning – that separates resources by grade, and provides detailed activities and resources that you and your kids can use to continue learning at home: My Child's Learning - Alberta

Ontario has compiled supplementary resources – Learn at Home – that can help students practice their math and literacy skills and learn from home. These are in addition to the resources and online education provided by the provincial school boards: Learn At Home - Ontario

With a lot of extra family time – here are a couple of unique ideas to keep children entertained, and to maybe learn something new together: Glow-In-The-Dark Jellyfish

Activities at Home

What you’ll need: Link:GITDJellyFish Paper Bowls White Yarn Glow-In-The-Dark Paint Brushes and Painting Supplies Sissors Sandwizch Bags Sharp Pencil Steps: Paint the Bowls inside and out Cut the tentacles (12 pieces of yarn, about 3 feet long) place in bag with several squirts of paint Squish the bag, adding more paint if you want Hang the yarn to dry In the middle of the bowl, punch out two small holes Cut one long piece of yarn (about two feet), and loop it through both holes, so the long ends are still at the top, and there is a loop on the inside of the bowl Put all of the painted strings through the loop, and tighten Tie a knot at the top so the tentacles stay in place, and tie the two loose ends together to create a hangar for the jellyfish Take a few of the tentacles that are closest to the middle, and unfurl the little pieces of yarn to make the frilly appendages that some jellyfish have Charge your jellyfish in bright lights for at least 30 minutes Then turn them out and watch them glow!

Crystalized Names What you’ll need: Link:CrystalNames Pipe Cleaners Fishing Line Pencil Scissors Containers (one for each colour) Borax Food Coloring Measuring Cup Teaspoon Heat-Safe Mixing Bowl Steps: Create your letters, or your whole name, out of pipe cleaners attach the fishing line to the letters, and tie the other end to the pencil or a small wooden skewer so that they hang Mix the borax and water solution, about 3tbs of Borax per 1 cup of hot water pour mixture into containers, and add the food coloring that you want the crystals to be Dip your letters into the container, and rest the pencil on top be patient, leave the letters in the mixture overnight and do not touch, you’ll see crystals starring to form on the outside of the container the next morning, pull them out and shake off the remaining water, hold to the sunlight to see your letters sparkle!

Have some tape lying around?

Make yourself a little race track on the floor!

Other Ideas Can’t get your kids to do their chores?

Make a system where they do chores for monopoly money, that they can later use for treats or special activities!

The COVID-19 crisis is encouraging businesses and organizations around the world to think about how they engage people – and how they can continue to share their stories and environments with people during this time. Thanks to the internet – there are awesome activities that can transport us instantly to other worlds – here is a list of things to check out:

Walk through the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa, including the offices of the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition:

Online Activities

Visit the Parliament of Canada.

Get a 360-degree tour of fifteen farms across Canada, including dairy, grain, egg, and apple farms: 360 Tours of Farms in Canada

Walk through the awesome Royal Tyrell Museum in Alberta, and check out some of Canada’s pre-historic dinosaur inhabitants: Royal Tyrell Museum in Alberta

Explore some of the Louvre’s exhibits without the place ticket to Paris, France: The Louvre Museum in France

Or, check out Washington D.C.’s Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History: Smithsonian Museum in Washington

Are you more interested in what is under the sea? Check out Monterrey, California’s various webcams from the aquarium: Monterey Bay Aquarium in California

Or, head down electronically to the world famous San Diego Zoo to see what’s happening on the elephant, giraffe, penguin, or panda cams: San Diego Zoo in California

Travel From Home

With stay-at-home being the new normal – and all travel from routine business trips to pre-planned vacations abroad currently being on hold – many people are feeling their wanderlust even stronger. However, Google Maps has a number of awesome tours that you can take from the comfort of your own couch! Here are a couple of ways to visit some different places in the world without leaving your house: Visit five of the United State’s National Parks – Kenai Fjords in Alaska, Hawai’I Volcanones in Hawai’I, Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, Bryce Canyon in Utah, and the Dry Tortugas in Florida – these in-depth tours offered in partnership with Google Arts and Culture truly take you there: US National Parks Tour

Take a walk around Canada’s most remote capital – Iqaluit, Nunavut – including an inverted colour tour to show you the paths through the snow in detail: Iqaluit Walking Tour

Did you know that you can walk around all of the Walt Disney World Resort parks in Florida and California? Check them out here: Disney Walking Tour

WorldTour360.com offers thousands of 360-degree panoramic photos from incredible places around the world – transport yourself almost anywhere here: World Tour 360

Looking for new supper ideas to cook while at home? Here are two quick ideas from the New York Times: Salmon and Tomatoes in Foil What you’ll need: •4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil •1 ½ to 2 pounds salmon fillet, cut crosswise (4 pieces) •12 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half • Salt and pepper •16 basil leaves

Recipe Ideas

Steps: For each of 4 packages, place one 12-inch-long sheet of aluminum foil on top of another. Smear top sheet with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, and layer a fillet of salmon, 6 tomato halves, salt and pepper, 4 basil leaves and another half tablespoon oil. Seal package by folding foil onto itself and crimping edges tightly. Repeat to make other packages, and refrigerate until ready to cook, no more than 24 hours later.

When you are ready to cook, heat oven to 500 degrees. Place packages in a roasting pan. (Or they can be cooked on top of the stove in 2 skillets over medium-high heat.) Cook 5 minutes (for mediumrare) to 8 minutes from the time the mixture starts to sizzle, or roughly 10 to 12 minutes total.

Let packages rest a minute, and cut a slit along the top with a knife. Use a knife and fork to open the package. Spoon the salmon, garnish and juices onto a plate, and serve.

Link:NYT - Salmon and Tomato

Made-In-The-Pan Chocolate Cake (it’s vegan, too!)

What you’ll need: •1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour •1 cup granulated sugar •⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder •¾ teaspoon baking soda •½ teaspoon kosher salt Link:NYT-Cake •⅓ cup canola oil •1 teaspoon vanilla extract •1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or white vinegar •2 tablespoons semisweet or vegan chocolate chips (optional) • Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting on top (optional) Steps: Heat oven to 325 degrees. Add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt to an 8-by-8-inch square glass or metal baking dish. Whisk the mixture together until uniform in color. Use your fingers to break apart any lumps.

Add 1 cup water along with the oil, vanilla extract and vinegar. Stir slowly with a fork or a whisk in small circles to blend. Mash, scrape and stir with a fork and spoon until the mixture becomes a smooth and uniform batter.

Scrape the sides of the baking dish with a rubber spatula and spread the batter in an even layer.

Sprinkle with chocolate chips, if using.

Carefully transfer the dish to the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the batter comes out mostly clean, 28 to 33 minutes.

Remove from the oven, let cool, then cut the cake into squares.

Miigwetch This information has been brought to you as a free public service by:

The content of this presentation is for informational purposes only.

Those who may have come into contact with COVID-19, or who have symptoms must self-isolate and call their health authority.

This presentation was developed to assist First Nation citizens and governments in understanding and responding to the growing crisis.

Information contained in this presentation is accurate as of April 30th, 2020.