Brighter days are ahead.
Wednesday, the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians got their first doses of the coronavirus vaccine.
First responders and medical staff were vaccinated first at the Medicine Lodge.
“I’m excited that I can put [the pandemic] beside me, that I’m not going to have to worry about it,” said fire chief Garrett Fairchild. “I’m not going to have to worry about coming home with something for my family.”
The vaccine is a momentous step in the right direction for the tribe as their community sees a surge in recent cases.
“In the last month, month and a half, we’ve had more cases than we did at the very beginning,” said Doctor Lynn Squanda.
Dr. Squanda says her community has focused on protecting their elders through this pandemic, and that meant canceling many sacred, cherished events through the year.
“Our powwows and our other meetings that had to be canceled are very important in the native community for our spiritual health, too. We want to be able to get back to doing our things, our elders are missing their luncheons that they’d do every day,” she said.
Dentist William Lee got it the vaccine on Wednesday and was surprised at how painless it was.
“It was great, easy to get, I encourage everyone to get it, please, and I’m happy and honored to be possibly the first dentist in northern Michigan to get the vaccine,” said Dr. Lee.
The band expects weekly shipments of the vaccine at some point so they can immunize everyone, starting with front line workers and the vulnerable.
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