In March, the Spirit Lake Nation in northeastern North Dakota took steps to try to contain the spread of Covid-19, including deciding to close the tribe’s Spirit Lake Casino & Hotel.
At the time, Covid-19 cases remained relatively low. Then residents attended July 4 weekend gatherings, leading to a spike in viral cases. Benson County, the reservation’s home base, recently had the most confirmed new cases per capita in the state, according to the Covid Tracking Project.
North Dakota Indian Affairs Commissioner Scott Davis said other tribes in the state are reporting increases. “People are just getting relaxed, thinking things are fine. And here we are, back to square one with the tribes. It’s really concerning,” Davis said. “This spike is just another wake-up call for the tribes, because our numbers were low.”
Spirit Lake Chairman Douglas Yankton and other tribal leaders now are trying to decide if they should close their casinos again, or impose a stay-at-home order for all residents—both financially devastating moves.
Yankton said federal unemployment assistance stood between the tribe and economic disaster. But with Congress stumped about a new stimulus package, many tribal members are returning to work, despite the health risks.
“It’s really challenging to determine what to do. Some businesses, we just really can’t afford to shut down. People are going to feel that when it comes time to pay bills and the tribe as a whole will feel the impacts,” Yankton said.
Spirit Lake was the first municipality to issue a mask mandate, followed by the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa. Other tribes have issued quarantine and curfew orders. The Spirit Lake tribe requires anyone who’s tested positive for the virus, plus their entire household, to quarantine at home. The tribe has rented hotel rooms at its casino and in nearby Devils Lake to accommodate those who must quarantine.
The tribes also have increased testing. Recent mass Covid-19 screenings offered by Spirit Lake and the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nations each drew around 1,000 people. Yankton said Spirit Lake has asked nearby universities for help with contact tracing.
