Issue Number 9 -- COVID-19 Information for First Nations and Indigenous Peoples

#BreakTheChain Issue No. 9 May 21st 2020

COVID-19 Information for First Nations Looking Towards The Immediate Future This is the ninth in a weekly series, prepared as a free informational tool by Bimaadzwin Inc. Updated as of May 21st, 2020

COVID-19 and the ongoing outbreak..

Community Support Encourages Recovery..

Non-Medical Masks with a First Nations Flair..

Moving Towards the End of COVID-19..

Future of FN Healthcare Post- COVID-19..

In this Issue…

School and Summer Camp Updates..

Indigenous Game Ideas for Kids..

More Online Resources..

Be Careful of Misinformation and COVID-19 Scams..

Tips for Spending Less..

Tips for Cutting Your Own Hair..

And – Mindfulness for Healthcare Workers..

Ongoing COVID-19 Outbreak

There have been over 4.7 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 around the world, with over 320,000 deaths. In Canada, there are currently 79,502 confirmed cases– with 5,955 deaths across the country (May 20).

Cases: 05.20.2020

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.

The isolation of COVID-19 has been difficult for individuals and communities alike; however, some are feeling a particular sense of isolation or distance when they themselves have tested positive for COVID-19. However, many individuals in First Nations communities across the country express that they’ve felt an incredible amount of support from their communities.

Community Support Encourages Recovery

CBC brought us this story on May 19th, 2020 – Three indigenous women – Falen Jacobs, Kylie Bressette, and Stevie Jonathan – from Kahnawake, Stony Point First Nation, and Six Nations of the Grand River respectively – who all tested positive for COVID-19.

The three women all expressed concern and worry about sharing their positive test results with family members and community members – thinking that they might experience negativity and hateful comments – but all felt that it was important to put their own face to the local pandemic, and share their experiences with the community. Except, what they all experienced was an outpouring of love and support from community members, family, and neighbours – and countless offers for helping hands.

It’s important to remember that even when we’re apart – we are standing together. Our communities are resilient, and always stand together in difficult times – and COVID-19 is no different. It is through the supports that we offer each other that our communities will survive, and thrive through COVID-19.

Non-Medical Masks With A First Nations Flair

First Nations artists across Canada have been adapting to the realities of COVID-19 with their own flair. As provinces across the country start their various re-opening programs, Health Canada is recommending that all Canadians use a non-medical face mask while out in public – to limit the spread of COVID-19 from person-to-person in public spaces.

The masks pictured were created by Shelly Johnson – whose daughter is a registered nurse on Vancouver Island – and she has so far made over 700 of them.

Professional and amateur semesters and seamstresses across Canada have been putting together and selling – or giving away for free – their non-medical face masks to individuals across the country.

The AFN has been compiling a list of indigenous people who are making masks for people. It is important to remember that wearing a non-medical mask does not necessarily protect yourself, but protects others from the droplets that you produce – so, the more people who wear masks, the more people are protected while in public! Be sure to set an example and wear your mask – and make it fun!

You’ll probably inspire someone else to put one on too!

As we move into week ten of the COVID-19 pandemic or ‘quarantine’ here in Canada – many people are starting to ask themselves “when is this going to end?”

Moving Towards the End of COVID-19

There are still lots of things that we don’t know about COVID-19 – and unfortunately, one of those things is how long it will take for us to get back to ‘normal’ – however, it’s most likely still a long way away. As provinces start to re-open – this does not mean that everything is back – stores will look different, and public health officials are still encouraging people to stay at home as much as possible.

However – there is some light at the end of the tunnel – and here are two optimistic stories from Canada to help encourage you to keep to the recommendations!

1. Another ICU Treatment – Researchers in London, Ontario have some ‘very positive’ first results at an experimental treatment for those with COVID-19 in Intensive Care. Those in the ICU are usually fighting two things – pneumonia, which is why they need ventilators to help patients breathe – and inflammation. The researchers have found that using dialysis machines – that are currently not being used in ICUs – it slows the inflammation, and helps the body fight the virus another way. For those hospitals with more patients than ventilators – especially in the United States – this could help relieve pressure.

2. Vaccine Trials – Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia has announced that it will lead the first clinical trials for a COVID-19 vaccine in Canada in the coming weeks. The testing program has three phases – and can still take many months – but the first steps are already being taken towards a vaccine. If proven successful, the program will be able to rapidly produce the vaccine here in Canada – while sharing the information for developing the vaccine around the world.

The Future of First Nations Healthcare PostCOVID-19

First Nations are overly aware of the persistent health issue and challenges that their communities face – from access to adequate local health services, to inadequate housing and ongoing boil-water advisories in many communities.

However, researchers a part of a national immunity task force hopes that this pandemic elevates the concern for these issues – and awareness among the Canadian public in general. “This pandemic has opened the eyes for a lot of people across Canada,” said Dr. Carrie Bourassa, scientific director of the Institute of Indigenous Peoples’ Health.

“I would like to think that what these … studies will do is change a lot of policies for Canadians and for Indigenous people.

“I hope that this will also raise the bar and help people to understand that equity has not been reached for Indigenous peoples in Canada.”

Already, Indigenous Services Canada has said that after the pandemic – there will be an important need to come up with plans to address some of these long-standing realities such as overcrowding, high rates of diabetes, and the historic underfunding of health services across the country.

School Year Updates and Summer Camps

Provinces across Canada have started to announce – and even implement – the first phases of their re-opening plan. With many parents going back to work in a new, and most likely different environment – some are asking what the plan is for their kids, and the rest of this school year.

Some provinces have partially re-opened schools and daycares – in Québec, schools have reopened for the rest of the school year in some districts with strict cleaning procedures in place; whereas in British Columbia, students will go on rotation, attending school one day per week to catch up with teachers and prepare for the next week’s learning-fromhome.

Other provinces will not be reopening this year. Ontario has announced that it would not be worth reopening schools for the remaining few weeks of the normal year – and has released learn-at-home plans for the summer months for parents who are interested. Those students who were supposed to graduate will still graduate, and all students will receive their report cards.

Ontario has also announced that day-camps this summer might still be able to operate in July and August – depending on the continued spread of the virus in the province – however, all overnight camps will be cancelled for 2020.

Kids have lots of energy, we all know that – but sometimes it’s hard to think of healthy and productive ways to help them burn off that energy.

High Five – a standards organization founded by Parks and Recreation Ontario – put together a document compiling indigenous games for kids from across Canada.

These games have been around for generations – to build strength, encourage stamina, and help our kids burn off their extra energy – these games often need little or no materials – and can involve the whole family!

Indigenous Games for Kids

Check out the resource here to see the list of games: Indigenous Games for Childen

The team at Bimaadzwin has had fun bringing you some interesting online resources for your kids (or yourself!) to enjoy while social distancing at home. We can admit that even though many of them are designed for younger audiences – we’ve had some fun taking the time to explore them!

Other Online Resources

Here are a few more to check out – this week they are homebased learning platforms that we haven’t yet introduced – but these resources all have links to the provincial curriculum in Ontario: Awesome art ideas, coloring activities, and other projects relating to math, sciences, and others: Crayola Teachers Want to learn more about the environment around you, and the impact that Climate Change has on it? Check out Resources 4 Rethinking Interested in coding? Check out the Lynx cloud-based programming environment that helps coders from experts to absolute beginners practice their skills. Best of all, the Learner Mode mirrors provincial curriculums across Canada. Lynx Coding Club Feeling restless? The YGym Virtual Gym provides physical activity for kids – facilitated by trainers from YMCAs across Canada. Workout along with their trainers at: YGym

Be Careful!

Scams and Misinformation During COVID-19

With so much uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 – there has been a lot of dangerous misinformation that is circulating around on the internet. It is important to always double-check your sources – and make sure you’re getting information from trusted public health officials. However, here are some common false or misleading information that has is important to know: Canada has not approved any product to prevent, treat or cure COVID-19, no matter what other international leaders have said. Selling unauthorized health products or making false or misleading claims to prevent, treat or cure COVID-19 is illegal in Canada.

We take this matter very seriously and we are taking action to stop this activity.

Exposure to electromagnetic fields from 5G devices does not spread COVID-19. There is no scientific basis behind these claims. Both the World Health Organization and the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection have also addressed these claims.

There have been reports of scam calls and emails on a variety of topics, targeting people’s worry about COVID-19. Beware of any suspicious call or email, certain scammers have been posing as: Loan and financial service companies – offering loans, debt consolidation and other financial assistance services; Cleaning or heating companies – offering duct cleaning services or air filters to protect from COVID-19; Local and provincial hydro/electrical power companies – threatening to disconnect your power for nonpayment; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Health Canada, or the World Health Organization – offering fake lists for sale of COVID-19 infected people in your neighbourhood; Private companies - offering fast COVID-19 tests for sale, or selling fraudulent products that claim to treat or prevent the disease

As COVID-19 restrictions begin to slowly open back up – financial experts are reminding Canadians that now is a good time to review your spending, and see where you can save. Financial Planner, Janet Grey, shared these tips with CTV Ottawa: Food – You can save a lot of money by spending less on takeout and delivery. Cook at home from scratch.

Reduce fees – Contact your cellphone and cable providers to negotiate a lower rate and a better fitting package. You could also call your auto insurance company to see if rates can be reduced because you are driving less during the pandemic.

Tips to Reduce Spending

Subscriptions and memberships – Take the time to review your subscriptions – and only keep the ones you actually use. These include things like an unused Netflix or Hulu account; or a gym membership at a national chain that might be currently closed.

Defer payments – Gray recommends contacting your mortgage broker or credit card company to see if you can defer payments until a later date.

Free programs – Take advantage of all the free learning programs offered through local and international organizations and educational institutions; including the ones put together in our newsletters!

Reduce non-essential spending – Look at your spending to see where you save money now and moving forward. Gray uses the example of your daily coffee purchase – could you go without the visit to the coffee shop and use the money to pay for a trip or pay down debt.

One of the most common comments about the COVID-19 pandemic – and the effects that closed businesses has on our lives is that people can’t get a haircut anymore – and after nine weeks, it might be starting to look a little shaggy.

Missy Clarkson of Studio 209 in Vancouver shared some tips with CBC on the west coast:

Tips to Cut your Own Hair

‘Small tools make small mistakes’ – don’t grab the biggest scissors in your drawer, as there is more of a chance to make a mistake you won’t like. Smaller scissors make it easier to be more precise.

What about dye? If you’re going to dye – always go for a darker colour, and just touch up your roots. Or, have some fun and experiment while you’re at home with some new and fancy colours – remember, hair usually grows back and your normal stylist is happy to fix it when they’re open again.

Try something new, and if it feels good – do it! There are plenty of free tutorials on how to try new things with your hair. Many people miss the social connection and the ‘feel good’ feeling of a new haircut – something that won’t necessarily be replaced – but you should still feel good about how you look, and might even start a new trend!

There is no doubt that the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic is causing a high level of stress and distress, particularly among health care workers due to our unique role in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. During a pandemic like this, our capacity to stay calm, present, and compassionate is more important than ever.

Being aware of your own stress and energy – being mindful – is key in helping you keep balanced in difficult times. Here are five practices that might help anyone – but especially healthcare providers – feel more mindful.

Coming back to the present moment. With so much uncertainty in the future days, weeks, and months ahead, all we truly have is the present moment. A simple way of coming back to the present is by using my breathing as an anchor.

Mindfulness Tips for HealthCare Providers

Gratitude. It’s important to acknowledge and accept the grief and sadness of what has been cancelled and lost during this time. Sometimes taking the time to think about, and be grateful for those things that are still around to help you stay well – family, food, shelter, or online events not cancelled – can help you stay balanced.

Walking Meditation. During the pandemic, it can be deeply rewarding to spend some time outside walking, as long as it is still recommended by public health as safe to do so, using appropriate safe physical distancing away from other people.

Mindfulness of Media Consumption. Right now it is important to stay up to date with what is happening in the world, in our communities, and in medicine as the COVID-19 situation evolves so rapidly. At the same time, people are finding that there is such a thing as “too much information.” Given that those in health care already saturated with COVID-related discussion and activities at our workplaces all day long, we need to be particularly cautious about getting oversaturated with COVID-19 talk and news outside of work.

Daily formal meditation. During uncertain and unpredictable times, maintaining some kind of daily routine is helpful. For some, maintaining a daily formal meditation practice gives them a short period every day to “just be,” and not have to “do,” even if just for a few minutes. As health care workers have so much to do in this pandemic situation, it can sometimes seem overwhelming, and a disconnection is needed.

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 May 21st, 2020.