Tŝilhqot’in in the Time of COVID: Strengthening Tŝilhqot’in Ways to Protect Our People

Courtesy of the Tsilhqot'in National Government:

The Tŝilhqot’in Nation (TNG) has released a comprehensive COVID-19 report called Dada Nentsen Gha Yatastig; Tŝilhqot’in in the Time of COVID: Strengthening Tŝilhqot’in Ways to Protect Our People. The Tŝilhqot’in title translated to English means “I am going to tell you about a very bad disease.” The one hundred- and thirty-six-page report, generated in partnership with University of British Columbia (UBC) researchers, and documents the Tŝilhqot’in Nation’s experiences, achievements and lessons learned throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and culminates with forty, forward-looking calls-to action.

The calls-to-action in the report are recommendations for all levels of government (Tŝilhqot’in, regional, provincial and federal), and build from the previously released Tŝilhqot’in Wildfire Report, The Fires Awakened Us (2019). 

These calls-to-action address the ongoing need for: 

• Recognition of inherent Indigenous jurisdiction in emergency response and recovery. 

• Improved health data sharing during a public health emergency between all levels of government and the Nation. 

• Long-term funding to address mental health issues that have worsened due to the pandemic. 

• Response to systemic racism in emergency management and in health care. 

• Building on the important investigative work of Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond in the report, In Plain Sight: Addressing Indigenous-specific Racism and Discrimination in BC Health Care (2020) and the UN Special Rapporteur in the Report on the impact of COVID-19 on the rights of Indigenous Peoples (2020), this report provides a nation specific plan toward true collaboration and partnership. 

TNG Tribal Chair Joe Alphonse said:

"Last month, our Nation, along with the Heiltsuk Nation and Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council Member Nations negotiated a COVID-19 information-sharing agreement with the Provincial Health Office that improves health data sharing related to COVID-19 cases in nearby communities. While that is a start, it isn’t the end of the conversation. It is critical that all levels of government work to address systemic racism, which exists in both emergency management and within the health care system. Racism has piled on to our challenges during the pandemic. That is one of the reasons why our people have, and will continue to document our experiences. The Tŝilhqot’in are warriors, we have fought to protect our people and our lands for centuries. We will continue to exercise our Aboriginal rights and title and protect our people and our lands, whether that be from a devastating wildfire, a global pandemic or a racist system"

Backgrounders can be viewed here