- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
MONTANA, SOUTH DAKOTA, NORTH DAKOTA — Tribes in the upper Midwest reported the first confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 on their reservations this week.
The Fort Peck Tribes in northeastern Montana reported its first two positive cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday in a social media post. The cases are thought to be the first on any of Montana’s Indian reservations.
The tribes were formally notified by the Northeast Montana Health Services that two healthcare employees at the reservation’s Riverside Family Clinic tested positive for COVID-19, according to a Facebook post. Further details were not available but, consistent with standard protocols, an investigation is underway to identify any persons who may have been in contact with the persons that tested positive to provide appropriate instructions for self-quarantine or other measures.
Northeast Montana Health Services will issue a public statement regarding the confirmed COVID-19 cases with additional information, according to the post.
“The positive tests reinforce the necessity of all residents of the Fort Peck Reservation to comply with the April 3rd, 2020 Fort Peck Tribes Shelter in Place Order issued to correspond with the State of Montana’s Shelter in Place Order,” the tribe said in the statement.
The Fort Peck Reservation is home to nearly 6,800 Assiniboine and Sioux tribal members.
On Wednesday, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe was informed of its first confirmed positive test result for a tribal member. Yesterday, the tribe announced that the person had now tested negative and was fully recovered. (Facebook photo)
On Wednesday, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe was informed of its first confirmed positive test result for a tribal member. Then yesterday, the tribe announced that the person had tested negative and was fully recovered.
Thus far, 62 members of the tribe have been tested with 56 negative results and six pending.
The tribe is under a stay-at-home order, following a declaration of a state of emergency in mid-March. Chairman Mike Faith took to YouTube to reinforce the tribe’s shelter-at-home order, social distancing and curfew, especially for younger people who risk bringing the disease home to family members and elders.
“Too many people are staying out,” Faith said in the YouTube video. “This is not a game. This virus is deadly.”
The Standing Rock Reservation is located in North and South Dakota and is home to approximately 8,500 members of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.
As of this morning, there have been 536 confirmed positive cases and six deaths overall in South Dakota, according to the state’s health department. In North Dakota, there have been 278 positive cases and six deaths, according to that state’s health department.
More Stories Like This
Native News Weekly (August 25, 2024): D.C. BriefsUS Presidents in Their Own Words Concerning American Indians
Native News Weekly (August 4, 2024): D.C. Briefs
Seattle Seahawks Tackle Preservation Projects at Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center for Annual Day of Service
Native News Weekly (June 15, 2025): D.C. Briefs
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher
