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Coronavirus Pandemic
At the beginning of March, 2020, a state of emergency was declared by Governor Dunleavy and the next day the State of Alaska had its first coronavirus case announced to the public. The first coronavirus case to reach Wrangell did not occur until June 7, 2020. Since then, Wrangell has had a total of 400* positive cases of covid-19.
The COVID-19 global recession is the deepest since the end of World War II. American Indians and Alaska Natives were 3.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with the disease than non-Hispanic whites and their mortality rate was almost twice as high, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The Wrangell Cooperative Association received funding to assist the tribal community during these troubling times. Our hope was to bring the tribal members back to their traditional subsistence ways while providing a sense of security. Though we are still in the midst of the pandemic, below are a few of the projects we have done thus far:
*Updated January 28th, 2022
Smokehouses
Both handmade cedar smokehouses and Big Chief Smokers were distributed to the tribal community.
Fish Distribution
Over 2,000 pounds worth of salmon, rockfish, and herring eggs were donated and distributed to the tribal community.
Food Boxes
WCA partnered with USDA Farmers to Families Food Box Program to give out boxes of food to tribal families in need.
Garden Beds
Raised garden beds were built and given out to tribal members and the community garden.
Vacuum Sealers
VacMaster Vacuum Sealers were, and are currently, being distributed to the tribal community
