PBCN Chief Peter Beatty (File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Glenn Hicks

covid-19

PBCN Chief reflects on challenging COVID year

Mar 13, 2021 | 8:00 AM

In many ways, Saskatchewan’s northern communities have faced some of the toughest challenges around COVID-19.

And, as he reflects on the full year that has now passed since the pandemic arrived in this province, the chief of one of Canada’s more populous First Nation knows better than most the struggles of having to be quarantined.

“I’m in isolation because of a close contact; it’s my fourth time in isolation but I’m getting used to it,” Chief Peter Beatty of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation (PBCN) told paNOW. He said he’s tested negative and hopes he can be free to get out and about again soon.

But his repeated period of solitude in his cabin sums up the challenges that many have faced since the first COVID scare in the North in mid-March 2020, when a health worker returned from international travel into Southend, one of eight PBCN communities. While that small outbreak was quickly contained thanks to the efforts in the community, tougher days lay ahead across the North.

“Over the last year it’s been really tough in all of our communities,” he said. “It’s a sad thing that we lose our Elders to the disease, people have been in isolation on lockdowns, and it’s been hard to get supplies.”

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While Beatty acknowledged the hardship many have faced, he said people have also risen to the challenges, like those who ensured the inter-community restrictions were enforced.

“It was hard for our security services. They got a lot of verbal abuse, but they stuck with it and we’re glad they did. We supported them. And of course, we got support from Indigenous Services Canada and Health Canada who helped with essential services.”

As with the rest of Canada, PBCN communities saw a reduction in COVID cases through last summer, only for the disease to spike again in the fall, which is when Beatty strongly called on some people to stop their partying. He said while most people have worked hard to help contain the spread of the virus there are some who continue to cause issues.

“In our First Nations communities it’s a real challenge at times. The partying aspect is certainly a factor. It’s one thing if you’re in your own household and you’re having a drink, but when you start moving from house to house, that’s when it’s a problem,” Beatty said. He explained in most communities the number of cases of COVID was coming down, although there is currently a spike in Pelican Narrows.

Much has been made of vaccination hesitancy among Indigenous groups, but Beatty said, while there was some reluctance in the early stages of the rollout, he figured most people were now getting the jab. At 66 years of age, he has received both of his Moderna doses and has been promoting the benefits of the vaccine on local radio shows.

As Saskatchewan marks the unwanted anniversary of March 12,2020, Beatty said it was important for everyone to ‘stick to their guns,” as he put it.

“Remain diligent regarding all the health guidelines. If everybody follows the protocols as stated, we can contain this until everyone gets vaccinated. If everyone does that, not only in our communities but in the province and the county as a whole, we’ll come out the other end a lot better.”

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glenn.hicks@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @princealbertnow