PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Evans, Laura E.
AU  - Foxworth, Raymond
AU  - Sanchez, Gabriel R.
AU  - Ellenwood, Cheryl
AU  - Roybal, Carmela M.
TI  - Representative Voices: Native American Representation, Political Power, and COVID-19 in U.S. States
AID  - 10.7758/RSF.2022.8.8.07
DP  - 2022 Dec 01
TA  - RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences
PG  - 135--152
VI  - 8
IP  - 8
4099  - http://www.rsfjournal.org/content/8/8/135.short
4100  - http://www.rsfjournal.org/content/8/8/135.full
AB  - We examine predictors of COVID-19 cases in Native nations during the early months of the pandemic. We find that where Native American representation and Native American political power in state politics were greater, COVID-19 cases on tribal lands were fewer. We expand the literatures on descriptive representation and on tribal-state relations by demonstrating consequences of powerful Native American voices in the statehouse. We find that Native American voices on tribal lands are also vital. Tribal lands that had extensive networks of community-based health facilities and tribally controlled health facilities recorded fewer COVID-19 cases. The broader lesson here is that if Native nations are to protect their citizens, they need outside governments that support, not thwart. Our findings draw on unique, original quantitative analysis.