AAnniisshhiinnaaaabbeegg TTooddaayy A Monthly Chronicle of White Earth Reservation Vol. 26 No. 9 White Earth, Minn. [email protected] Wednesday, September 1, 2021 Photo by Vicki Gerdes/ Detroit Lakes Tribune White Earth Tribal Home Health received the Community Spirit award from United Way during a ceremony on Aug. 19 at the Holmes Theater in Detroit Lakes. Accepting the award from left are Deb Killian, Mina Spalla, Sally Simonson, Lindsi Darco, Lisa Braun and Shirley Holzgrove. WE Tribal Home Health honored at event The United Way of Becker County held its Since they first began offering the vaccines annual Celebration of Heroes on Aug. 19 at the to the public in 2020, White Earth Home Health Holmes Theater in Detroit Lakes. The annual has successfully vaccinated 16,458 people, and event honors the “everyday heroes” that work directly contributed to the high vaccination rates behind the scenes to make our communities a of the counties where the vaccines were offered. better place to live. “When the vaccine became available to The members of the White Earth Tribal White Earth, the tribal council made the call to Home Health organization were collectively offer the vaccine to non-Native residents of honored for their efforts in offering free doses of Mahnomen, Becker and Clearwater, as well as the COVID-19 vaccine to both Native American nearby Norman and Polk counties because the and non-Native residents of not only council believes, ‘We should be good neighbors Mahnomen, Becker and Clearwater counties, during these times of need and it is the right which all contain part of the 900,000-acre reser - thing to do,’” said 2020 United Way of Becker vation, but also the neighboring counties of County President Anna Schmitz, who presented Norman and Polk. the award. N E 4 D M D 1 G E s R e A T O A k D T R N I a D S O t L A i Having fun at N O S P t i P m A E r o T r S e R t S P P e U D Color Run! The Boys and Girls Clubs and White Earth Public Health held a Color Run on Aug. 11. r e Kids ages 5 to 18 who are m S o S members of a Boys and Girls t s W Club on the reservation were u R invited. C C l E a The race started and ended t s at the Mahnomen fair - o P grounds. Kids were given special t-shirts and lunch after the race and color celebration. More than 75 children partici - pated in the event. Photo by Jackie Haugo 2 Anishinaabeg Today Wednesday, September 1, 2021 Anishinaabeg Today Truth and honesty are important for Anishinaabeg The Anishinaabeg Today (AT) is the offical publica - By Dr. Carson Gardner, MD unvaccinated Anishinaabe person with COVID ending up tion of White Earth Reservation and is published once a White Earth Health Medical Director in an ER hallway waiting for an ICU bed is likely at least month. Editorials and articles appearing in the AT are one in 20 to one in 10, and their risk of dying of COVID is the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily I have never seen someone die in an ER hallway. But likely one in 10 to one in 5. And, you should know, right reflect the opinion or attitude of the AT staff or the White I have worked at hospitals where that has happened. They now in Minnesota there are several incidents every day Earth Reservation Business Committee. were primarily hospitals that provided care for people of where people needing ICU beds cannot get one due to color and people surviving the wounds of systemic racism, The AT reserves the right to reject any advertising COVID overload. The risk of dying from vaccine-caused in western USA urban areas. I have, though, welcomed or materials submitted for publication. The submission blood clots, “VITT,” or vaccine-caused heart inflammation, new life into the world in ER hallways--I have delivered of articles and photos is encouraged, however, they are “myocarditis,” is about one in 5,000 to one in 200,000. Do babies for women lying on carts in ER hallways in those subject to editing for grammar, length, and malicious/ unvaccinated people deserve the best healthcare available? western hospitals with no privacy and little nursing support. libelous content. The Editor makes the sole decision of Of course they do--that is basic Anishinaabe mino- It was embarrassing and frightening for them, and for me, what is published in the AT and will not assume any bimaadiziwin. But nobody, vaccinated or unvaccinated, responsibility for unsolicited material nor will the AT but the enthusiastically-crying new life helped to make up will get any hospital care for anything if the hospitals are guarantee publication upon submission. Deadlines are for the inadequate care conditions. There is no enthusiasti - full to overflowing and there are no more beds, oxygen sup - strictly enforced! Deadline dates are printed on Page 2 cally-crying new life in an ER hallway death. The crying plies, ventilators, medications, or nurses. That hasn’t hap - in each issue. is different then. pened--often--yet here. It was announced this week, by national news head - Truth and honesty are important for Anishinaabeg. The AT is distributed at no charge to all postal Here are some honest truths: patrons living on White Earth Reservation and by mail lines, that a COVID patient waiting in an ER, for an ICU • Yes, COVID vaccines are all experimental. That’s to White Earth Reservation members (who request the bed that just wasn’t available, died in the ER of a western because there was never a reason to have COVID vaccine newspaper) living within the United States. One per USA hospital. No USA citizen is ready to believe a USA household. The cost of a newspaper subscription is $12 healthcare system could “collapse.” But it can, and it did before January 2020. But the science is not new. It’s been per year for non-members (including descendants) liv - for that person who died “in an ER hallway...” We of Gaa- around and well developed for anywhere from a decade to ing off the reservation. The AT can be read online for waabaabiganikaag do not want that to ever happen to one 20 or 30 years. COVID vaccines are the most scientifical - no cost at www.whiteearth.com. of our family, friends, neighbors, or coworkers. What can ly-made vaccines ever developed. And remember, small - we do about it? pox vaccine worked very well long before medical people For more information call 218-983-3285 Ext. Well, it takes too long for us to go to school and even knew the word “virus.” COVID vaccines are well 5903, email: [email protected], fax: 218-983- become a medical or paramedical healthcare worker to help built. 3641, or write to: prevent collapse of the eight hospital systems that surround • It is not possible to immediately do “long-term” test - Anishinaabeg Today our White Earth lands. We don’t have time to do that. But ing on a vaccine that is killing elders, the chronically ill, PO Box 418 there is something we can do, right now, quickly and sim - and the infection-prone right now. Testing on animals is White Earth, MN 56591 ply. done, but it’s not the best kind. Testing on human volun - teers is in progress, and will continue to give more detailed Member of the Get vaccinated . v information; but that won’t help right now. People who Native American Journalist Association The fall/winter COVID pandemic on planet Earth, Aki v insist on a decade of testing before any pandemic COVID Minnesota Newspaper Association Nookomis, is a pandemic of the unvaccinated. Right now 60-80% of hospital-admitted COVID patients are unvacci - vaccine is given care about themselves. That’s ok; but WER Business Committee nated. And right now over 90% of COVID infections on Anishinaabeg also care about their whole community, espe - Turtle Island/North America and around the world are cially the vulnerable. If we’d waited 10 years for naloxone Delta variant COVID infections. The risk of hospitaliza - rescue to be tested in labs, there’d be a bunch more graves Michael Fairbanks tion for a fully-vaccinated person who gets COVID anyway on White Earth lands. Chairman is somewhere between one in 100 and one in 1,000. The • There are, of course, side effects from COVID vac - Leonard Alan Roy risk of that fully-vaccinated person dying of COVID is Secretary-Treasurer between one in 1,000 and one in 10,000. But the risk of an See Truth Page 21 Raymond Auginaush Sr. District I Representative Don’t mess with these Pine Point Aunties Kathy Goodwin District II Representative Cheryl “Annie” Jackson District III Representative Editor Gary W. Padrta Future Issues * Deadline Issue Date September 29 October 6 October 27 November 3 November 22 December 1 December 28 January 5 January 28 February 2 Submitted photo * Deadline and issue dates subject to change The Pine Point community recently held their annual Rez Car Parade. First place went to the Deadly Aunties (above) - Edie Smith, Karen Jones, Katie Robbins and Allison Jones. Second place went to Irene Adams and Dillion Jackson finished in third place. Wednesday, September 1, 2021 Anishinaabeg Today 3 News From Chairman Michael Fairbanks Nindawemaaganidoog Aaniin Boozhoo Gaa-waabaabiganikaag Niminwendam Waabaminaan! Waatebagaa-giizis! Aaniish inaa akawe ninga-gaagiizomaag aadi - zookaanag.