WASHINGTON, DC – The $ 1.9 trillion COVID reduction package deal handed by Congress this week comprises a historic quantity of funding for Native People.

The US bailout, signed by President Biden on Thursday, consists of $ 31 billion to assist tribal communities get better from the pandemic.

It’s the largest infusion of assets into tribal communities within the historical past of america.

Senator Tina Smith, a Democrat from Minnesota, mentioned: “We will see daily that this pandemic has not been the nice equalizer. It has affected most individuals already in danger and already going through actual challenges. “

In accordance with Smith, a member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, Native People who contract COVID are 4 occasions extra probably than non-Hispanic white People to be hospitalized and twice as prone to die from it.

She says this is likely one of the many causes this funding is so vital.

“These {dollars} are going to assist them consolidate their budgets, in order that they’ll hold individuals employed, they may assist assist their training methods and their well being methods.”

In North Dakota, Scott Satermo, CEO of MHA Nation, says that along with well being points, COVID has additionally prompted important monetary hardship.

“About 60% much less income,” Satermo mentioned.

“It affected the whole lot for what these {dollars} might have introduced in for us.”

Smith says the $ 31 billion in pandemic reduction for tribal communities consists of $ 20 billion for tribal governments, $ 6 billion for the Indian well being service, about $ 1 billion for teaching programs Indigenous Peoples and $ 20 million to cut back the affect of COVID-19 on Indigenous languages.