COVID-19 and Tribes: The Structural Violence of Federal Indian Law*
Aila Hoss** Full Article. I. Introduction II. Federal Indian Law and Health Outcomes III. Federal Indian Law and COVID-19 IV. The Structural Violence of Federal Indian Law in COVID-19 Response I. Introduction Like countless other health conditions,[1] the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in inequalities.[2] People of color are experiencing not only higher rates of COVID-19 infections[3] but also worse outcomes from the infection.[4] American Indians and Alaska Natives are experiencing COVID-19 infections at higher rates than other groups across several states including Arizona,[5] New Mexico,[6]and Wisconsin.[7] The Navajo Nation, in particular, has been adversely impacted by COVID-19. As of the 2010 census, Navajo citizenship is around 300,000 people[8] although more recent numbers cite citizenship population at over 350,000.[9] The Tribe has had over 10,780 cases with 571 deaths as…