Northern Cheyenne and Crow hit hard by Coronavirus

LAME DEER, Mont. – Over the past few weeks the COVID has devastated the Northern Cheyenne Reservation and continues its deadly assault upon the Crow Reservation. Big Horn and Rosebud Counties, along with Yellowstone (home to Billings, the primary shopping center for both reservations] now top the State’s list of “hot spots” for new and ongoing cases. At Northern Cheyenne it is even bringing into question the ability of the Tribal Government to continue functioning.

During what is now being referred to as Phase I, Crow, close neighbor to Northern Cheyenne was initially hard hit, with hundreds of cases and many deaths which continues today, while Northern Cheyenne at first had only a single case. Now, however during “Phase two”, the virus is spreading like wildfire at Northern Cheyenne – now over 150 confirmed positive cases, the hub assumed to be Lame Deer, and several related deaths. Indeed, despite precautionary measures, the Tribal Administration has been hard hit: the Tribal President, Rynaela Whiteman Pena recently tested positive and is under home quarantine, still responsible for several grandchildren; the Tribal Vice President is re-cooperating from a non-COVD illness; the Tribal Secretary was also infected although successfully re-cooperating; the Executive Assistant to the Tribal President, a lynch pin in daily administrative functions has also been diagnosed as well as members of the Tribal Finance staff. In spite of limited operation in recent weeks, all of these individuals continued to be very active in the community

The next Tribal official in-line to run the Tribe under the Tribal Constitution, would be the Sergeant of Arms, a tribal council member elected by peers. Yet this would require the concurrence of the Tribal Council, which is now meeting largely via telephone and other technology. Thud, President Pena recently remarked that the Tribal Government might have to close down for a period of time, pending future developments.

Nonetheless, the Tribe has employed several strategies to limit the spread: a “stay-at-home” order has been in effect for the past two weeks, expected to be extended; reservation road blocks are being established; all but essential businesses and Tribal Programs are shut down, as are reservation schools, attempting to provide long-distance learning, hampered by lack of technology and WI-FI hot spots Buses from neighboring community schools serving Cheyenne students (Hardin, Colstrip and Ashland) are not running buses on the reservation, parents of those students driving to off-reservation pickup points.

Health providers on both reservations are nearly overwhelmed by the crises – dozens of new cases each day, numerous hospitalizations and many COVID-related deaths on both reservations.  The Crow I.H.S. Hospital has been converted into a COVID center, yet is extremely limited with only 17 beds, limited supplies and technology. And recently nurses there have resigned due to the pressure. At Northern Cheyenne, the Public Health Nursing Program, normally front-line workers is now closed as some of those professionals have been diagnosed with the virus.

Due to the general chaos, it is difficult to get more specific information about the situation; Facebook a major source as is the Tribal website and a new link Community Connections- Northern Cheyenne website which contains a wealth of information.

(Clara Caufield can be reached at acheyennevoice@gmail.com)

The post Northern Cheyenne and Crow hit hard by Coronavirus first appeared on Native Sun News Today.

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