After enduring years and sometimes decades without safe drinking water, a historic $8 billion settlement is giving First Nations hope that “boil water” and “do not consume” advisories will soon be a relic of the past.
Eeyou Istchee has now entered Step 2 of the Deconfinement Management Plan, as Cree health officials maneuver away from a policy of preventing Covid entirely toward one of managing it, as many jurisdictions worldwide have also done.
Cree health officials announced a sweeping new approach to their Covid policy February 25, moving away from an isolation protocol to a “testing and reduced-activity protocol that will greatly relieve pressure for everyone in Eeyou Istchee,” according to a bulletin.
After more than three weeks of an occupation of downtown Ottawa by a motley coalition of truckers, conspiracy theorists and extreme-right activists, local Indigenous leaders are denouncing one faction of the protest that claims to represent First Nations and Métis peoples.
Cree health authorities are sounding optimistic about the pandemic. Cree Board of Health and Social Services Vice-Chair Christine Petawabano said in a radio address that, “Things continue to improve in Eeyou Istchee. The number of active cases is declining, which means communities can consider lowering more restrictions.”
With many Eeyou Istchee residents complaining on social media about issues with internet service, the Nation invited Eeyou Communications Network (ECN) President Alfred Loon to answer questions about why customers may be facing problems.
Cree leadership says Eeyou Istchee is “recovering from the most severe wave of Covid-19 to hit the territory, province and country.” In a statement they thanked the people of Eeyou Istchee for their sacrifice, dedication and resilience as they outlined a path out of the current pandemic that swept through Cree communities for over a month.
Since plans to investigate residential school sites on Fort George Island were announced last June, Chisasibi leadership has conducted consultations about how to proceed in a respectful manner.
The number of active Covid cases appear to have crested in Eeyou Istchee. The Cree Health Board reported 368 active cases as of January 17, down from a high of 602 reported January 6.
The numbers are staggering. On December 23, there were 23 active Covid cases in Eeyou Istchee. By December 31, that had risen to 319. By January 5, over 583 cases were confirmed – a 25-fold increase in two weeks.
