Governor celebrates COVID testing at Fort Belknap

Gov. Steve Bullock and other state officials visited Fort Belknap Indian Community during its drive-through testing Friday.

A testing site was also set up in Hays, and the total number of people tested during the weekend was 1,015 between the two days and two locations.

"Five hundred people have been tested so far today, and that's 500 more individuals across this region when we're trying to keep our overall state safe," Bullock said at 2 p.m. Friday. "We're trying to make sure that we're upfront and when we can find that positive isolating so we don't have community spread."

The drive-through testing came from a conversation that happened May 9, he said, knowing that everyone wanted to increase testing.

"This is really historic, in my opinion especially in these trying times with the pandemic," Fort Belknap Indian Community Council President Andy Werk Jr. said. "The governor has made some great decisions as far as flattening the curve here in Montana, and I'm sure there's a lot of credit that goes to the staff to include the National Guard here (Friday) and the Task Force."

He said the timing is great because Fort Belknap passed an agreement with the Indian Health Service over surveillance testing last Monday.

"It's a great initiative, and so to add another great layer to that is to work with the state also," he said. "The governor and I have had some great conservations - we get on the phone with one another when we have some time, and, as you know, the pandemic has no boundaries, so the most important thing to do is help one another. I'm sure that's the way we were all raised in this great state, with our faith and our own cultures."

Werk said he is thankful for the community taking the pandemic seriously.

"We're just going to continue to collaborate with our efforts and do the best we can to combat this thing and make sure everyone is safe," he added. 

He also presented a plaque of appreciation to Bullock that read: 

"On behalf of the Aaniiih Nakoda Tribes of Fort Belknap Indian Community, the Fort Belknap Indian Community Council extends their sincere gratitude and thanks to Gov. Bullock, the National Guard, the Department of Health and Humans Services and the Indian Health Services for this historic collaboration. Thank you for joining us and our efforts to keep our people and the people of Montana safe."

"I'm humbled by this, but I'm even more so humbled by the friendships and relationships of wherever we live whether you are the head of the Fort Belknap Indian Community or the governor our objectives are the same to make sure that every single person can be safe and can be healthy," Bullock said. "I so applaud the efforts of the Fort Belknap Indian Community and Indian Health Service to come together and make this happen as well as our soldiers and airmen from really representing all across Montana.

"... Thank you all so much for the good work that you are doing and know that I can thank you for good work, but the work that you are doing will literally save lives," he added.

In an interview he said, as of Friday more than 25,000 tests have been done in Montana from when this began. 

"My goal is to get us and Montana up to at least 60,000 (tests) each month, 15,000 a week," he said. "I know between this and the regular testing we're also trying to test everyone in long-term care centers and nursing homes, who will probably hopefully do about 8,000 this week, but the more test that we do not only will we have a better understanding of the virus, but will be able to track down where there is positives."

Bullock said he thinks that will give community members more confidence to be going out to restaurants and other businesses and locations in their communities.