News

Out of concern for the safety of thousands of participants and spectators, the 2020 United Tribes Technical College International Powwow has been cancelled, as well as all events associated with “United Tribes Events Week,” scheduled for Sept. 8-13.

Great Plains Food Bank (GPFB) informed me there is a USDA Farmer to Family Food Box Program available June 2, 16, and 30 in Bismarck and Mandan.

North Dakota state agencies assisted in mass testing for the coronavirus May 20 at the Trenton Indian Service Area (TISA), which encompasses six counties along both sides of the North Dakota-Montana border.

During three mobile test drives, the Spirit Lake Tribe has conducted 326 coronavirus tests on the tribe’s residents, including the April 21 surveillance testing at the tribal health center with the North Dakota Department of Health and North Dakota Army National Guard. On site for that testing was North Dakota State Health Officer Mylynn Tufte. At last report, there had been had no positive cases.

Targeted and mass testing for coronavirus took place May 21 for the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate of the Lake Traverse Reservation in southeastern North Dakota and northeastern South Dakota.

The Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa tested 591 tribal members in about six hours on April 30, a benchmark for one-day tribal testing. According to Turtle Mountain Chairman Jamie Azure, all of the samples collected during the drive-through testing at Turtle Mountain Community Schools came back negative. One test was rejected because the person had also tested at another site.

PARTNERSHIP WITH STATE HELPS MONITOR FOR COVID-19

A total of 482 residents and essential workers were tested May 9 in Fort Yates, ND. This included citizens from both North and South Dakota. “We don't have boundaries here at Standing Rock, it's all one,” said Tribal Chairman Mike Faith.

The MHA-Nation has been planning and preparing proactively to fight the virus since February. Chairman Mark N. Fox says three tribal members who contracted coronavirus off the reservation also died off the reservation. Two of the three were brought back to be buried. No tribal members have died on the reservation.

On April 21, 2020, the SRST Tribal Council voted to enact a reservation wide curfew for all residents.  As of May 14, 2020 they voted to exted this curfew until May 31, 2020.