San Diego Native American tribes demonstrate resilience in the face of the Coronavirus pandemic In some parts of the country, the incidence of confirmed Coronavirus cases among American Indians is more than three times that of whites Author: Richard Allyn (Reporter) Updated: 11:27 PM PST February 17, 2021 SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — While COVID-19 has devastated many Native American tribes across the country, killing older American Indians at alarmingly high rates, local tribes in San Diego County have had their resilience put to the test in other ways during the pandemic. "Many lives are being lost, especially our cultural keepers and our elders," said Dr. Joely Proudfit, chair of the American Indian Studies Department at Cal State San Marcos. "The cultural knowledge that they bring to the community: that is irreplaceable."