Joseph Wildcat, Sr., President
Post Office Box 67 Lac du Flambeau, WI 54538 (715) 588-3303 www.LDFTRIBE.com
LAC DU FLAMBEAU—June 15, 2020—The Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians Tribal Council today announced it will suspend its shelter-at-home order, curfew and tribal land access restrictions starting at Midnight, Wednesday, June 17, 2020.
“This has been a tremendous challenge over many months, and we have many, many people to thank for their bravery and commitment,” LDF Tribal President Joseph Wildcat Sr. says. “Our Tribal Members, Tribal Council, Incident Command Team, department and program teams, volunteers, as well as partners at local, state and federal levels, all played crucial roles in working with us to adapt and meet the needs of our community in the face of an historic pandemic.”
The re-opening date applies to Lake of the Torches Resort and Casino, boat landings, camp grounds, and retail establishments. Government buildings will reopen the following day, June 18.
“People may be asked to follow certain safety measures upon entering or using one of our facilities,” President Wildcat says. “We’re asking everyone to please respect those around you and follow safety measures designed to keep everyone as safe as possible. Many unknowns remain about Covid-19. To keep the Reservation open, we all need to do things somewhat differently for now.”
By suspending the various safety measures contained in the stay-at-home order, curfew and land access restrictions, the Tribe remains ready to take action if Covid-19 infections or related issues impact the health and safety of residents and visitors to Tribal Lands. Tribal Council will continue to monitor the situation daily and take action as required. This may include re-implementing restrictions to Tribal Lands within the exterior boundaries of the Reservation.
“Tribal Council has been working on a plan to re-open for some time now with the No. 1 priority of keeping safe all who visit, work and live on the Reservation,” President Wildcat says. “Health and safety remain our priority while taking steps to re-open Tribal Lands in an organized manner. If we determine health and safety are at risk, we may modify Reservation access once again until the threat passes.”
“For months, we’ve been working to prevent Covid-19 from spreading on the Reservation, and we continue to do all we can going forward to keep everyone safe,” President Wildcat says. “We must remain flexible and able to adapt to this pandemic. We will continue to make decisions based on leading experts in multiple fields to determine the best course of action related to Covid-19.”
Federal Law recognizes the Tribal Council’s authority and its legal rights to govern Tribal Lands as a Sovereign Nation. Historically, Tribes have suffered significant illness and loss of human life for a variety of reasons when pandemics sweep across the land.
