Before COVID-19, there were many ongoing crises affecting First Nations in Canada; boil water advisories, food insecurity, and land rights violations, among others.

Now the pandemic has laid bare to the broader public the priorities of settler-decision makers and government, media, and Canadians in deciding what constitutes a ‘crisis’, and how resources are allocated. On May 5 at 1pm EST, a team from Yellowhead Institute including Eva Jewell, Damien Lee and Hayden King joined the Ryerson Democratic Engagement Exchange for a Democracy Dialogue session to discuss the unique challenges COVID-19 has layered onto First Nations, and the responses of elected and inherent leaders to protect and uplift their communities.