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The old clich茅 says a picture is worth a thousand words; Piapot First Nation figures seven more won鈥檛 hurt.
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The Cree nation north of Regina is using photo-billboards with short, seven-word phrases to remind its members to stay COVID-safe through the pandemic.
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Each of the four, double-sided billboards feature images of band members doing safety protocols to stop the spread of the coronavirus: A young toddler wears a racoon face shield while munching on a snack; a middle-aged man wearing a mask readies his hands for a squirt of hand sanitizer; and, among others, a girl is washing her hands while wearing her pink Barbie mask.
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鈥淚鈥檓 so glad we decided to use band members (as models), instead of just strangers on the signs. I think when people see themselves out there, their family sees them, and then they鈥檒l share it more,鈥� Piapot communications manager Kristin Francis said.
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Piapot鈥檚 leadership has been keen to educate the community鈥檚 members about the dangers and safety measures of COVID-19, she said.
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Each sign鈥檚 image has one of two phrases written beside it: 鈥淏e Safe Our Lives Depend On You,鈥� and 鈥淏e Safe Your Community Depends On You.鈥�
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The signs went up in mid-January, placed at high-traffic locations 鈥� the main roads into and out of the community, near the band office and at the First Nation鈥檚 main crossroads.
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鈥淚t would be the last image they would see when they鈥檙e leaving 鈥� if they see familiar faces, it would make you think about your own children, and your Kokum and Moshum (grandma and grandpa),鈥� Francis said.
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Piapot leadership gave her creative control to design the billboards, she said. Part of the goal with real, physical signs is catching elders鈥� attention.
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鈥淐hief (Mark Fox) was adamant about it: (They) don鈥檛 have social media ... so they鈥檙e not seeing all the communications out there.鈥�
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Piapot鈥檚 total recorded COVID-19 infections is still below 100; 88 people in the community have caught the virus, based on numbers Francis provided.
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As of Monday, there were zero active cases in the community. One band member has died after testing positive for the virus. The band has 688 members living on reserve.
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Fifty-two band members have been vaccinated with both doses, while another eight have received their first doses, Francis said.
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Band administrators have kept Piapot鈥檚 school and office closed since November, when a viral outbreak was declared there.
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Data from Indigenous Services Canada shows COVID-19 infections in Saskatchewan First Nations have consistently been at or greater than 242 infections per week through the first two months of 2021.
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The lone exception is last week (Feb. 21-27), when ISC recorded 24 cases; infections have been declining slowly since a mid-January high of 663.
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Francis said administrators are now busy disbursing payments of $150 to all 2,550 band members, as part of financial relief efforts. It鈥檚 the second such payment Piapot leadership has given out.
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She said they鈥檙e eager to open the community鈥檚 youth centre, which is to host virtual Cree and craft-making lessons for Piapot鈥檚 kids.
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