(Oneida Reservation, WI)- The Oneida Nation extends support of the Governor’s actions to protect the health and safety of Wisconsin citizens, who include Oneida Nation members. Executive Order #28, which extends Wisconsin’s Safer at Home order until May 26, 2020, reflects the protection of Wisconsin’s most valuable resource, the people.
Oneida has a history of a positive government to government relationship with the State of Wisconsin. We recognize the success of our own Public Health State of Emergency and Safer at Home declarations, which are currently in effect until May 12, 2020 in our community, are in part, attributed to the state’s conservative approach to protecting residents and its similar philosophy to ours, which is protect our people. We support the actions to extend Wisconsin’s Safer at Home order as a lifesaving action in our state; we have members of the Oneida Nation who live in almost every county in this state, especially in the most affected counties such as Milwaukee.
The government of the Oneida Nation has a responsibility to act prudently and deliberately to preserve a quality of life on the Oneida Nation Reservation that is conducive to creating a healthy and safe environment. The Oneida Nation faces unique challenges to make decisions that will be in the best interest of the Oneida citizens, healthcare, employment, and services. Oneida citizens are prone to high incidences of heart disease, diabetes, asthma, cancer and renal failure, which place them in high risk for fatal complications of COVID-19. Today the Oneida Nation has been fortunate that our community has been respectful of our safer at home order and self-isolation to keep our statistics manageable
The Oneida Nation also understands our role as a major employer in Northeast Wisconsin. We are ensuring our decisions in the recovery phase, both in our community and in our businesses, are based upon the principles of flattening the curve of this fatal virus, as well as putting in place proactive approaches to extricate further spread and put people back to work in safe and healthy environments.
