[E-rundbrief] Info 1859 - Mother Earth - COVID-19 IEN-Statement
Matthias Reichl
info at begegnungszentrum.at
Sa Mär 28 20:33:01 CET 2020
E-Rundbrief Info 1859 - Indigenous Environmental Network: IEN COVID-19
Statement. IEN COVID-19 spreads across Mother Earth - Tough challenges
for Indigenous nations and communities...
Bad Ischl, 28.3.2020
Begegnungszentrum für aktive Gewaltlosigkeit
www.begegnungszentrum.at
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Indigenous Environmental Network
IEN COVID-19 Statement
https://www.ienearth.org/ien-covid-19-statement/
We are in a unique and unexpected moment. As the pandemic known as
COVID-19 spreads across Mother Earth, many of our Indigenous nations
and communities are being faced with some tough challenges. As the
staff of the Indigenous Environmental Network, we wish to encourage
our network members, native nations and communities to stand strong to
their teachings and prepare for this global issue that is COVID-19.
In line with this point our leadership team and executive director
have declared all non-essential travel for IEN employees and
contractors to be restricted, until at least April 30th. This travel
restriction may be extended based on the discretion of the IEN
Leadership Team and Executive Director. During these times of
uncertainty, IEN has also postponed our Protecting Mother Earth
Conference to a later date. Despite employee travel restrictions, IEN
will remain open and our employees will continue to work remotely to
serve our network and work with our allies.
To put it bluntly, this is a new strain of coronavirus that is very
infectious and needs to be taken seriously. But it does not need to
cause panic.
Best Up-to-Date Sources for COVID-19 Information:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/
World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/
Indian Health Service: https://www.ihs.gov
For more local information please seek out your area Tribal, local and
state health departments
As for you, our friends and relatives, members and affiliates,
accomplices and allies, we wish to share the following thoughts:
How we center our Indigenous Knowledge in the response to COVID-19 is
as important as where we get our information about COVID-19.
While we are concerned about how Indigenous nations and communities
are going to continue their way of life, utilizing their respective
values based upon Indigenous Knowledge, we also recognize and honor
the extreme resiliency that our peoples have always demonstrated
during times of crisis. With that in mind, we at the Indigenous
Environmental Network offer the following four principles:
Ceremony: There are many stories and prophecies in our respective
traditions and spiritual ways that can give guidance in difficult
times. We encourage the utilization of Ceremony and the teachings
associated with them to provide guidance and comfort. Stress is a
known cause of weakened immune systems, and this in turn makes people
more vulnerable to getting COVID-19 in a way that is more severe.
Panic is a form of stress.
Caution: Standard practices for preventing the transmission of viruses
such as social distancing and personal hygiene have been well
communicated by health care experts, and we urge you to take all
recommended precautions and to be very careful in taking care of
yourselves and your family members, and to also seek help if the
COVID-19 symptoms become present. To be clear, as a new virus
amongst humans, there is no natural immunity, so if a person comes
into contact with it, they will get COVID-19. Some in their early
adulthood have become critically ill, and those over 60 and with
pre-existing underlying conditions are particularly vulnerable. In
consideration of others it is important that proper respect is given
to those most vulnerable and that caution is exercised. Indigenous
Peoples have a higher proportion of our population with underlying
conditions, stress levels, and other factors to take into account, due
to colonization and present societal marginalization. Being
considerate of others even if not in a high-risk category is an
important step in slowing the spread of COVID-19.
The purpose of social distancing is to slow its advance into
communities so as not to overwhelm the healthcare system and cause its
collapse. This is especially true of remote rural communities where
many of our Peoples live.
Community: Despite the fact that we must heed warnings of social
distancing, this does not mean people should be fearful of all
interactions. In many Indigenous communities, this is not even
possible. Those who come into contact with the COVID-19 virus will
become ill or and can become a carrier, but this doesn’t mean we
cannot maintain our connection to our communities. The need for
social distancing should not be taken lightly, but the importance of
checking on our families and elders in creative ways is important. We
have built a movement of resilience and strength and we cannot lose
our sense of connection to each other in this moment. It’s time to
call your elders to hear those stories you miss or to video chat your
auntie for that wojapi recipe you have been meaning to make.
Compassion: It is easy to blame others for this. It is easy to only
think of ourselves in this pandemic. It is easy to panic, buy and
hoard. It is easy to think that everyone for themselves is the way
forward. We reject these colonized behaviors. In times of crisis, it
is important that we act with compassion, putting the needs of the
most vulnerable first, caring for those who are sick or might become
sick, and ensuring that we look after one another. Make sure everyone
in the community has someone to check in on them and that they have
enough to eat and to keep warm. Be compassionate. Reject fear, hatred,
and racial profiling. Organize and advocate for protections and
safeguards for our frontline health and community workers, our
undocumented relatives, our houseless and our incarcerated brothers
and sisters, and for the less physically or mentally able members of
our human family.
We are also mindful of the economic hardships that are now even worse
for our lower income and working class relatives and we demand that
our governments and community leaders pass and uphold laws for free
access to healthcare and testing, paid sick leave, job and eviction
protection, unemployment benefits, economic relief resources with
local leadership at the helm, and other demands that our social
justice movement alliances have articulated.
We hope these four “C”s can be of help. We encourage Indigenous
nations and communities to develop Emergency Preparedness plans. Some
have them and many do not. In the coming days please go to the IEN
website where we will have links to some of the planning tools.
IEN was born of hope, courage and common vision. During this time of
great upheaval and hardship we remain optimistic in the face of fear
and we remain committed to justice in the face of new threats. We
also continue to hold in our collective hearts and minds a beautiful
vision for the health and wellbeing of our Indigenous peoples, our
Mother Earth, and the full Circle of Life.
--
Matthias Reichl, Pressesprecher/ press speaker,
Begegnungszentrum fuer aktive Gewaltlosigkeit
Center for Encounter and active Non-Violence
Wolfgangerstr. 26, 4820 Bad Ischl, Austria,
fon: +43 6132 24590, Informationen/ informations,
Impressum in: http://www.begegnungszentrum.at
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