HUMBODLT COUNTY, Calif. (KIEM)-The rise in COVID-19 cases has caused local Tribal officials to be concerned – closing their communities to non-residents.
According to Yurok Tribe Vice-Chair Frankie Joe Myers, tribal elders are their most precious resource.
The reason tribes have taken this pandemic so seriously — according to Myers – if an elder is lost to the virus – also lost – an oral historian.
“They hold our knowledge our stories they are intricate to our stories and our cultural practices,” he said. “That really pushed the tribe to take drastic measures to protect our communities from the outbreak here on the reservation.”
Dr. Emmett Chase is the Executive Officer of K’ima:w Medical Center.
“We, early on, made it clear to the people coming through that the reservation is closed, and so we didn’t encourage people to come into the community,” he said.
Both Yurok and Hoopa tribes have again closed their reservation to non-residents – and urge motorists who pass through, not to stop.
“We tried to discourage them from using our local gas station or our grocery store. So those types of things really early on prevented, I believe a lot of possible potential spread,” said Chase.
Another preventative measure – according to Dr. Emmett Chase – is their OES staff.
“So a lot of our effort locally has been to inform the population, especially if you go to the coast you should be extra cautious about avoiding groups and wearing a mask.”
The Hoopa officials have also implemented strict protocols when it comes to their staff – temperatures are taken daily – and anyone who leaves the reservation has to quarantine upon return.
As of Monday, there have been 15 positive COVID-19 cases on the Yurok reservation – they do not want to risk another positive case or worst an outbreak.
“We just ask that folks respect our wishes, even if you don’t understand them or agree with them, there will be a time when we open up, however, right now is not the time,” said Myers.
To date there have been there have been 63 confirmed covid-19 cases on the Hoopa Valley in Indian Reservation – with 62 recoveries and with one active case.
For more information related to Hoopa Valley Reservation click here, for more information related to the Yurok Tribe click here.
