Fise Update 2021.12.16
FISE UPDATE
December 16, 2021
President’s message for FISE
December newsletter
As the year draws to a close, I remain in awe at the courage and tenacity shown by all of you during the second pandemic year. As you know only too well, Native American communities were hit hard by COVID-19, with higher infection rates, higher hospitalization rates and higher case-fatality rates than white Americans.1 But Native communities also stepped up: I’m very proud that the CDC reported in November that Native Americans have the highest vaccination rate in the country.2
It hasn’t been an easy year. Yet despite the uncertainties and challenges we and our agencies faced, you continued – whether remotely or on-site – to be there and to go above and beyond for the Native communities we serve. You did this despite everything going on in your own lives. Many of us have lost family and friends to COVID-19. Many of us have feared for vulnerable loved ones, and still do. But your dedication to your work— and your skill and expertise at that work – came shining through.
I have high hopes for the New Year. With a change in administrations this past year, there are now some new opportunities for our union to make our voice heard and start to win the changes we’ve been seeking. We also have a Secretary of the Interior, Secretary Deb Haaland, who has made history by becoming the first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary. (Secretary Haaland is a member of the Pueblo of Laguna and a 35th generation New Mexican.)
I also cherish the hope that with new treatments and the ever-growing scientific and medical understanding of the coronavirus, we will see this pandemic become an endemic illness – one that can be managed with the right resources. Those resources should be targeted to the most vulnerable communities, including Native communities. FISE will continue to advocate for the funding, resources and workforce investment it will take to allow our communities to recover from this pandemic and thrive.
As we celebrate the New Year, I hope you’ll think about getting involved in FISE. Your voice, your talents, and your experience are all very needed and welcomed. And getting involved in your union is something that gives back to your life, from having the support of a network of colleagues, to making new friendships, to the satisfaction of knowing that you’re expanding opportunities, rights, and the quality of life for Native communities and the next generation.
Here’s wishing you and yours a joyful holiday season and a happy, health New Year. No one deserves it more than you do!
In Unity,
Sue Parton
President
Federation of Indian Service Employees/AFT
Member of the Kiowa tribe of Oklahoma
(505) 243-4088
P.S. If you do one thing after reading this email, please share your contact information with us! Send your non-work email address and personal cell phone number to Jackie at jspencer@fise-aft.org.
References
https://www.nicoa.org/american-indians-have-highest-covid-vaccine-rate/