COVID-19 became the No. 1 leading cause of death among Native Americans in Montana during 2020 and the third-leading cause of death for the general population. The year also brought a staggering increase in all causes of death for Indigenous people.
In Montana, death certificates compiled by the state Office of Vital Records revealed 1,022 deaths last year of American Indians, compared to an average of 676 deaths per year in the five years prior. That accounts for a 36% increase in all all-cause...