The Fort Peck tribes of Montana reported their first two cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday. The reservation, located in the northeast corner of the state, houses 6,800 members of the Sioux and Assiniboine tribes. Although these are the first reported cases on any of Montana’s other reservations, State Medical Officer Dr. Greg Holzman reported on Tuesday that 3.5% of the positive test results in the state are Native American. Montana’s overall Native American population, according to the 2019 census, is 6.6%. As of Wednesday, April 8th, the state has reported 332 positive tests, with 31 hospitalizations and six deaths.
The Fort Peck tribes have already implemented safety measures in response to the spread of COVID-19, including travel restrictions, a curfew, and mandatory 14-day quarantine for visitors from outbreak areas. Concern for the health of the residents – who, according to a statement by Tribal Chairman Floyd Azure, suffer from high rates of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes – drove the implementation of the restrictions.
- Associated Press, 2020, April 8. Montana’s Fort Peck tribes report 2 COVID-19 cases. Associated Press. https://apnews.com/6c3f0caeb885d1a4b201e9515c0b37c1
- United States Census. U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Montana. Accessed 2020, April 9. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/M