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Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon
April 7, 2021
Portland Area of IHS sees covid increase
‘Large enough to
serve you... Small
enough to care’
866-299-0644
The Portland Area of the
Indian Health Service—in-
cluding Oregon, Washington
and Idaho—has seen a recent
increase in Covid-19 positive
testing, according to the na-
tional IHS headquarters. The
data was reported as of April
3. On the national level, ac-
cording to the data:
Among the IHS service ar-
eas and members, a total of
190,810 covid tests have re-
turned positive since the pan-
demic began.
The total positve tests were
from more than two million
coronavirus tests conducted
by IHS.
Based on the cumulative
percentage positive, the high-
est rates have been in three
areas: the Navajo Area, the
Phoenix Area, and the Okla-
homa City Area.
IHS also provides a covid
average for a recent seven-
day period, through April 3.
Based on this average, two
areas are seeing much higher
Covid-19 rates:
The Portland area, and the
Bemidji Area. The Portland
area serves about 150,000
Native Americans in Oregon,
Washington and Idaho.
For decades Chinook Nation has fought for federal recognition
2018
GMC
Terrain -
28,686
miles -
2017
GMC
Acadia Ltd
- 60,970
miles -
$22,995
$28,995
#96697A
#59731A
2015
Chevrolet
Malibu -
128,135
miles -
2014
Chrysler
Town &
Country -
114,176
miles -
$11,995
#42301A
$12,995
2014
Chevrolet
Silverado
- 120,608
miles -
2013
Chevrolet
Silverado
- 178,815
miles -
$26,995
$18,995
#20981A
#23368A
2012
Chevrolet
Equinox -
107,000
miles -
2011
Buick
Lucerne -
103,630
miles -
#17049B
$10,995
$10,995
#72150A
#76168A
2008
GMC
Sierra -
148,525
miles -
2008
GMC
Acadia -
91,408
miles -
$16,995
$12,995
#81233B
#18756B
2008
GMC
Acadia -
168,553
miles -
2004
Buick
LaCrosse
- 101,525
miles -
$9,995
$7,995
#54840B
#59731W
For many decades the Chi-
nook Indian Nation has been
trying to prove its sovereignty
to the United States govern-
ment by seeking formal fed-
eral recognition. Official sta-
tus acknowledges the tribe’s
sovereignty and the federal
government’s obligations to
it, as generally outlined in
tribal treaties.
With federal recognition
comes health care through
the Indian Health Service,
education through scholar-
ships, and access to land
through creation of a reser-
vation. Today, there are 574
federally recognized tribes.
Hundreds of others are
unrecognized, though, with
varying claims of legitimacy.
The process for the Chinook
has involved decades of liti-
gation, petitions, congres-
sional legislation and appeals
to presidents—yet the tribe is
still unrecognized. The imper-
sonal bureaucracy obscures
the personal urgency and pain
that tribal members feel as
time moves on, elders pass
and children grow up.
The pandemic has exacer-
bated the Chinook’s lack of
the kind of social safety net
recognized tribes possess.
While the Covid-19 mor-
tality rate of Indigenous
people is almost 2.5 times that
of white people, unrecog-
nized tribes have not received
any of the government finan-
cial aid passed by Congress
last spring.