Based on current data, it is clear that White, Unknown, and AIAN communities are being most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in Montana. What I propose is a deeper look into the living conditions of AIAN community and how they are combatting the crisis as a community. According to Aaron Wernham, CEO of the nonprofit Montana Healthcare Foundation, said Native families are more susceptible to COVID-19 because multiple generations of a family often live in the same home. “So you’ve got elders who are particularly vulnerable to getting severe COVID infections, living with a large family, with younger people who may be out and about more” (https://www.mtpr.org/post/native-americans-account-13-percent-montana-covid-19-cases). Examining this could be an important angle to better understand how this erased community is handling the pandemic in the private sphere.
Potential Sources:
CDC Tribal Population Website
Montana Website
Sources including The Crow Tribe, Northern Cheyenne, and Blackfeet Nation information