Native community members in Minneapolis came together to offer a healing ceremony one week after George Floyd’s death on the corner of 38th and Chicago in Minneapolis.
The jingle dress ceremony has been shared to provide medicine and healing for all.
“I’m dancing for the people. I’m dancing for healing. I came here with compassion in my heart with empathy. I know how these families are feeling because it happens to ours and it happens to all these families daily. You see it in the news all the time,” said Miiskogihmiiwan Poupart-Chapman. “We’re all hurting and I’m here dancing for the people. That’s why all these dancers are here. The jingle dress came in the 1920s when the pandemic was happening back then too and it’s not a surprise that it’s showing back up in these times. We need healing and that’s what these dances are for.”
Minnesota Department of Health officials have recognized the importance of people exercising their first amendment rights to protest and to grieve and mourn.They continue to encourage all to be safe, by wearing masks, and social distancing.
“We very much appreciate that masks were distributed by a number of community organizations,” said MDH Commissioner Jan Malcolm, concerning the protests over the past week.
Health officials urge anyone experiencing symptoms to contact their health care provider and seek testing. The incubation period for COVID-19 is two to 14 days. So, someone who has the virus may not know it right away. For most people who get it, symptoms begin showing up within 5 to 7 days.
But, some people who get the virus don’t ever show symptoms, and they can unknowingly spread it to others.
Community health care workers are in the process of setting up a mass testing strategy and will soon be able to test anyone who has attended rallies, whether they have symptoms or not.
This MN Native News COVID-19 Daily Update is supported by the MN Dept. of Health.
Biidaapi with Maggie Thompson