The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe COVID-19 Pandemic Response: A Case Study.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of southeastern Massachusetts requested US federal government assistance. The tribe collaborated successfully with many partners in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this case study, the authors describe the tribe's collaboration with a team from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who assisted with epidemiology, case investigation and contact tracing, infection prevention and control, community prevention measures, and vaccination. Collaborative efforts resulted in over 200 public service announcements and videos produced, 55 tribal staff trained, 222 people followed up for contact tracing, 80% of tribal members vaccinated, and 5 COVID-19 response plans written. Deployment response teams learned elements essential to partnering with a Native American tribe. This successful partnership during a rapidly evolving pandemic suggests the US federal government and tribal nations can work together effectively to build response capacity for future infectious disease threats.

Partnership Between a Federal Agency and 4 Tribal Nations to Improve COVID-19 Response Capacities.

Upon request from tribal nations, and as part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) emergency response, CDC staff provided both remote and on-site assistance to tribes to plan, prepare, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. From April 2, 2020, through June 11, 2021, CDC deployed a total of 275 staff to assist 29 tribal nations. CDC staff typically collaborated in multiple work areas including epidemiology and surveillance (86%), contact tracing (76%), infection prevention control (72%), community mitigation (72%), health communication (66%), incident command structure (55%), emergency preparedness (38%), and worker safety (31%). We describe the activities of CDC staff in collaboration with 4 tribal nations, Northern Cheyenne, Hoopa Valley, Shoshone-Bannock, and Oglala Sioux Tribe, to combat COVID-19 and lessons learned from the engagement.

Identifying and measuring resilience factors among children with prenatal substance exposure in a tribal nation and in association with COVID-19 mortality

Background: Historical and contemporary trauma among Native Americans is linked to disparate health outcomes across the lifespan including the very recent coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. Early and prolonged exposure to positive family-child engagement activities and the natural environment (greenspace) act as protective factors against a range of maladaptive development across the lifespan. Yet, little is known regarding specific activities relevant among high-risk families in Tribal Nations and no evidence exists in terms of measuring that impact of greenspace against risk of COVID-19 mortality.Purpose: 1) Partner with a Tribal Nation to develop a study to identify resilience promoting factors in early childhood in the context of prenatal substance exposure (PSE);2) Identify common positive family-child engagement activities among high-risk families;and 3) Measure the impact of greenspace and risk of COVID-19 mortality in the United States.Methods: Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR), strengths-based, and community-driven approaches were applied to studies one and two. The methodological study (study one;development phase) involved relationship-building to partner with one Tribal Nation and to design an epidemiological study. The qualitative study (study two;phase I) consisted of in-person semi-structured interviews with caregivers to children, ages 0-3 years, with and without PSE to identify common activities, and barriers, facilitators, and positive child outcomes to activities. The quantitative study (study three;phase II) measured greenspace exposure by leaf area index (LAI) deciles derived from 2011-2015 averaged 250 m resolution annual maximum LAI maps to assess a dose-response association with COVID-19 mortality.Results: Study one yielded the development of a successful partnership with a Tribal Nation and a robust study design. Study two identified common cultural, community, outdoor and home activities that children engaged in with their family. Common barriers and facilitators overlapped in terms of cost, adequate transportation, safety, and family or friend presence. Positive outcomes for children were gaining cultural knowledge, bonding opportunities, and feeling soothed. Study three indicated a dose response association between high levels of LAI and lower mortality due to COVID-19.Conclusion: Studies one and two demonstrated the impact of CBPR in engaging in research with a Tribal Nation. Study three provided evidence of a protective effect of greenspace exposure and risk of COVID-19 mortality. This research lays the groundwork for a future study that will quantify the impact of these resilience factors against social-emotional development among young children with and without PSE. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)