From the beginning of this pandemic we heard reports about COVID-19 being particularly dangerous to people with pre-existing health conditions. So what do you do if you live in a community where that puts a large percentage of the population is at risk?

That’s the case on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota and for the more than 19 thousand members of the Oglala Lakota Tribe who live there.

The Pine Ridge Reservation has the lowest life expectancy in the country.  That’s the case pre-COVID, and it illustrates why keeping the virus out of their community, and helping those who are most vulnerable, is a top priority.

In this episode, Brian Lucas continues his conversation with Helene Gaddie, a member of the Oglala Lakota Nation and a resident of Pine Ridge.  

Since the outbreak, Helene has been part of an Indigenous Response effort, reaching out to people across the reservation to offer education and support.