COVID-19 Resources for Indian Country
During times of crisis, the messages we send to our stakeholders matter more than ever. Tribal governments and Native organizations are on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic and are making important decisions to protect the health and safety of their people.
To help enable wise decision-making, Native Governance Center is aggregating resources specific to Indian Country. We will continue to update this list during the pandemic.
COVID-19 resources specific to Indian Country in the Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota region.
| Region | Category | Organization | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | Tribal response | Bois Forte Band of Chippewa | COVID-19 community updates and information | http://www.boisforte.com/2020_COVID-19.htm |
| Minnesota | Tribal response | Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa | Community updates and information | http://www.fdlrez.com/ |
| Minnesota | Tribal response | Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa | Facebook page for COVID-19 community updates and information | https://www.facebook.com/GrandPortageBandofLakeSuperiorChippewa/ |
| Minnesota | Tribal response | Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe | Community updates and information | http://www.llojibwe.org/ |
| Minnesota | Tribal response | Lower Sioux Indian Community | Community updates and information | https://lowersiouxhhs.org/coronavirus-covid-19/ |
| Minnesota | Tribal response | Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe | Community updates and information | https://millelacsband.com/services/covid-19-information |
| Minnesota | Aid for individuals and businesses | Minnesota Chamber of Commerce | Toolkit with resources aimed at Minnesota business owners. Resources include funding sources, informational webinars, and a guide to determining if your business is essential. | https://www.mnchamber.com/blog/covid-19-business-toolkit |
| Minnesota | Funding | Minnesota Council on Foundations | Disaster recovery fund to support community intermediaries, with an advisory committee to help approve and distribute funds. | https://mcf.org/minnesota-disaster-recovery-fund-coronavirus |
| Minnesota | Health and Safety | Minnesota Department of Health | Printable instructions for social distancing and hand hygiene. | https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/materials/index.html |
| Minnesota | Funding | Northwest Minnesota Foundation | Emergency Disaster Recovery Grants (up to $5,000). Applicants must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, tribal entity, or government agency in their 12 county service area to be eligible. Eligible MN Tribal nations: Red Lake and White Earth. | https://www.nwmf.org/nmf-emergency-disaster-recovery-grants |
| Minnesota | Funding | Otto Bremer Trust | Emergency fund to provide financial support to Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Montana nonprofits and other community organizations impacted by the pandemic. | https://ottobremer.org/emergency-fund/ |
| Minnesota | Tribal response | Prairie Island Indian Community | Community updates and information | http://prairieisland.org/covid-19-coronavirus-2/ |
| Minnesota | Tribal response | Red Lake Nation | Red Lake Nation's news page features frequent updates about COVID-19 resolutions and policies. | https://www.redlakenation.org/news-events/ |
| Minnesota | Tribal response | Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community | Community updates and information. | https://shakopeedakota.org/covid19/ |
| Minnesota | Resource compilation | State of Minnesota | COVID-19 dashboard with real-time count of case numbers across the state, resources for seeking aid, tips for seeking medical care, etc. This is the one-stop shop for COVID-19 data in Minnesota. | https://mn.gov/covid19/ |
| Minnesota | Funding | Tiwahe Foundation | The Tiwahe Foundation has increased its grant funding in response to COVID-19. Grants are open to Native individuals, families, and artists residing in the Twin Cities metro area. | https://tiwahefoundation.org |
| Minnesota | Tribal response | Upper Sioux Community | Community updates and information | http://www.uppersiouxcommunity-nsn.gov/ |
| Minnesota | Tribal response | White Earth Nation | Community updates and information | https://whiteearth.com/community/covid_updates |
| Minnesota | Resource compilation | Minnesota Children's Cabinet | A compilation of COVID-19 resources relevant to children and families in Minnesota. | MN Children's Cabinet COVID-19 Resources |
| Minnesota | Tribal response | Native Governance Center | Indigenized Communication during COVID-19 presentation | Indigenized Communication during COVID-19 |
| North Dakota | Funding | Blue Cross Blue Shield North Dakota Caring Foundation | BCBSND's Caring Foundation provides health-focused grant funding to eligible organizations in North Dakota. | https://www.bcbsnd.com/caring-foundation |
| North Dakota | Resource compilation | Great Plains Tribal Chairmen's Health Board | Compilation of resources related to COVID-19 and Indian Country. Notably, they have several printouts available for download with health and safety information. | https://gptec.gptchb.org/covid-19/ |
| North Dakota | Fundraiser | Helping Hearts | Fundraiser for local charities in North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. | https://dmfhelpinghearts.org/ |
| North Dakota | Tribal response | MHA Nation | Community updates and information | https://www.mhanation.com/news/2020/3/18/covid-19-information |
| North Dakota | Aid for individuals and businesses | Native American Development Center | Provides grants for Native entrepreneurs to start businesses or expand and/or change their existing businesses. | https://www.ndnadc.org/ |
| North Dakota | Funding, Fundraiser | North Dakota Community Foundation | COVID-19 Community & Nonprofit Response Fund to support efforts to "flatten the curve" of COVID-19 infections in North Dakota by helping communities follow public health recommendations and help address the resulting financial impact. | https://www.ndcf.net/learn/covid-19-fund.html |
| North Dakota | Funding | Otto Bremer Trust | Emergency fund to provide financial support to Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Montana nonprofits and other community organizations impacted by the pandemic. | https://ottobremer.org/emergency-fund/ |
| North Dakota | Tribal response | Spirit Lake Natoin | Community health and safety tips, along with information on North Dakota case numbers and Tribal mandates. | https://www.facebook.com/Spirit-Lake-Tribe-Covid-19-102138324764938/ |
| North Dakota | Tribal response | Standing Rock Nation | Press releases, executive orders, and links to other resources. | https://www.standingrock.org/content/covid-19 |
| North Dakota | Resource compilation | State of North Dakota | Comprehensive overview of COVID-19-related resources available in North Dakota. | https://ndresponse.gov/covid-19-resources |
| North Dakota | Health and Safety | State of North Dakota | Health and safety resources related to COVID-19 from the State of North Dakota. | https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus |
| North Dakota | Aid for individuals and businesses | State of North Dakota | COVID-19 resources for businesses and employers from the State of North Dakota. | https://ndresponse.gov/covid-19-resources/covid-19-business-and-employer-resources |
| North Dakota | Tribal response | Turtle Mountain Nation | Community updates, health resources, and official Tribal mandates. | https://tmchippewa.com/covid-19-news-resources/ |
| Region-wide | Funding | Bush Foundation | Bush Foundation is supporting COVID-19 relief through the Minnesota Disaster Recovery Fund and the South Dakota Community Foundation Coronavirus Response Fund. A Community Innovation Grant is also open for applications (MN, ND, SD) and they are increasing flexibility for current grantees. | https://www.bushfoundation.org/news/our-response-covid-19 |
| Region-wide | Funding | NDN Collective | NDN Collective's COVID-19 Response Project provides resources to frontline organizations, Tribes, and individuals who are providing essential services to Indigenous communities during the COVID-19 crisis. The request process is designed for ease of use and rapid response. | https://ndncollective.org/covid-19 |
| South Dakota | Fundraiser | Black Hills Area Community Foundation | The Disaster Recovery Fund and Food Security Fund will help organizations working on the front lines of the pandemic. They are currently raising funds to support these efforts. | https://www.bhacf.org/coronavirus-response-funds/ |
| South Dakota | Tribal response | Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe | Facebook page for COVID-19 community updates and information | https://www.facebook.com/crstcovid19updates |
| South Dakota | Tribal response | Crow Creek Sioux Tribe | Facebook page for COVID-19 community updates and information | https://www.facebook.com/pg/Crow-Creek-Sioux-Tribe-Communications-435780467009449 |
| South Dakota | Tribal response | Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe | Community updates and information | https://santeesioux.com/fsst-covid-19-information/ |
| South Dakota | Funding | John T. Vucurevich Foundation | The foundation is responding to COVID-19 by pivoting its current grantmaking strategy. Stay tuned for more information on funding. | https://www.jtvf.org/ |
| South Dakota | Tribal response | Lower Brule Sioux Tribe | Information on upcoming Tribal Council meetings. | https://www.lowerbrulesiouxtribe.com/ |
| South Dakota | Tribal response | Oglala Sioux Tribe | Community updates and information | http://www.oglalalakotanation.info/covid-19.html |
| South Dakota | Tribal response | Rosebud Sioux Tribe | Community updates and information | https://www.rosebudsiouxtribe-nsn.gov/rst-coronavirus-information |
| South Dakota | Tribal response | Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate | COVID-19-related safety information and resources for employees | https://www.swo-nsn.gov/ |
| South Dakota | Fundraiser | South Dakota Community Foundation | Coronavirus response fund to support verified nonprofits and community organizations directly addressing the needs of those affected by the virus. They are currently raising funds for this effort and are asking for donations from South Dakotans. | https://sdcommunityfoundation.org/covid-19/ |
| South Dakota | Resource compilation | State of South Dakota Covid-19 | COVID-19-related resources from the State of South Dakota with links related to education, child care, business aid, reemployment resources, and public health information. | https://covid.sd.gov/ |
| South Dakota | Health and Safety | State of South Dakota Department of Health | Comprehensive resource for COVID-19 health data and safety precautions in South Dakota. | https://doh.sd.gov/news/coronavirus.aspx |
| South Dakota | Aid for Individuals and Businesses | State of South Dakota Governor's Office of Economic Development | Information on eligibility for small business relief loans in South Dakota. | https://sdreadytowork.com/covid-19/ |
| South Dakota | Tribal response | Yankton Sioux Tribe | COVID-19-related resolutions and health tips. | https://www.yanktonsiouxtribe.net/ |
The following are nationwide organizations that are publishing collections of resources for Indian Country in a broad range of categories, from funding to healthcare to education. We hope you find them useful.
