First Nation Community COVID-19 Travel Bans and Protocols Rolling Document- August 2020 Summary: This rolling document was prepared by Natasha Kim, UBCIC Policy Researcher and Writer, and is intended to be a starting guide of current travel bans/travel restrictions, as well as related health and safety measures and protocols, that First Nations in BC have adopted and implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Anyone looking for additional information should visit the Nation’s website or contact the Nation directly. It should be noted that many Nations have chosen not to make their protocols public on their websites, have made this information available to members only, or do not have operating sites wherein this information can be found. The majority of Nations declared a State of Emergency and enacted COVID-19 community protection by-laws. These by-laws allowed them to formally prohibit non-residents and/or non-essential visitors from travelling into their communities and allowed them to set up road checkpoints and community gates monitored by contracted security. Currently, many Nation are now putting into effect phased re-opening plans – contingent upon the number of cases and the trajectory of COVID-19 takes in the province – and are beginning to ease travel restrictions. First Nation/Tribal COVID-19 Protocols in Place Links to Community Info Council ?Akisq’ nuk First ~Travel ban info not listed on site http://www.akisqnuk.org/content/our- Nation (Kootenays) community ?aqam First Nation ~The St. Eugene Golf Resort & Casino is https://www.aqam.net/sites/default/files (East Kootenays) located on the reserve and owned by /Council%20Update%202020.pdf the Ktunaxa Nation; effective June 1st, St. Eugene was permitted to open the RV Park to leisure travel including Canadian, out-of-province guests ?Esdilagh First ~On April 22, Chief and Council enacted http://www.esdilagh.com/NewsEvents.ht Nation (Quesnel) the COVID-19 Virus Bylaw to prohibit ml non-residents and non-essential workers from entering into the community http://www.esdilagh.com/PDF/COVID/C OVID19_EFN_Public%20Notice_ByLaw.pd ~Failure to comply with the bylaw will f result in fines up to $1000- or 30-days imprisonment Adams Lake Indian ~Recommended members to limit http://adamslakeband.org/covid-19- Band travel outside of community archives/ ~Implemented its Pandemic Emergency Plan, Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) and EOC team Ahousaht First ~On July 3, 2020, Ahousaht Chiefs and https://www.ahousaht.ca/covid.html Nation (Vancouver Council released their Declaration on Island) COVID-19, thereby closing its lands and waterways to tourists and non- residents for all activities – “Tourists and people found within the territories will be asked to leave” ~ Residents of Ahousaht, essential workers and contractors, and others seeking to come to Ahousaht must fill out a questionnaire and email a request to enter into the community Aitchelitz First ~Travel ban info not listed on site https://www.stolonation.bc.ca/files/File/ Nation (Sardis) Bulletin/2020/03%20-%20March/03- 20/Bulletin%20- %20March%2020%2C%202020.pdf https://www.facebook.com/stolonation/ Alexis Creek ~Travel ban info not listed on site http://tsideldel.org/ (Tŝideldel) Indian Band Ashcroft First Nation ~Travel ban info not listed on site http://www.ashcroftband.ca/ (Thompson Canyon) Blueberry River First ~Deployed its COVID-19 Pandemic Plan https://blueberryfn.com/ Nation and released a directive outlining emergency measures following a https://blueberryfn.com/2020/04/09/cov confirmed case of COVID-19 in the id-19-pandemic-plan/ community; on April 9, 2020, released a mandatory Travel Directive for all forms https://blueberryfn.com/2020/04/09/405 of travel, prohibiting non-local residents 9/ from travel to or through the community Bonaparte First ~Beginning March 20, the chief and http://www.bonaparteindianband.com/d Nation (Cache Creek) council began work on adopting a ownloads/bonaparte-newsletter-march- communicable disease emergency 28-2020.pdf response plan and outlined a list of action taken so far, including putting up signs by highway at IR 1, 2 and 3 to let public know the community is self isolating and not allowing visitors or solicitors in Boothroyd First ~Travel ban info not listed on site https://www.nntc.ca/pages/home.aspx Nation (Nlaka'pamux Nation Tribal Council) Boston Bar Indian ~Website inaccessible; unknown Unknown Band (Fraser Valley) Bridge River First ~Travel ban info not listed on site http://xwisten.ca/ Nation (Xwisten) (Lillooet) Burns Lake First ~Website inaccessible; unknown Unknown Nation (Ts'il Kaz Koh) (Carrier Chilcotin Tribal Council) Cayoose Creek First ~Travel ban info not listed on site https://cayoosecreek.ca/ Nation (Sekw'el'was) Chawathil (Hope) ~Site under construction; unknown http://chawathil.org/ Coldwater Indian ~ Declared state of emergency and a https://www.coldwaterband.com/ Band (Central lockdown, remaining closed to visitors, http://schss.com/ Interior) in April 2020 ~ Current travel and lockdown conditions unknown Cook's Ferry Indian ~Travel ban info not listed on site http://cooksferryband.ca/index.php Band (Central Interior) Cowichan Tribes ~On March 11, initiated its https://www.cowichantribes.com/corona (Cowichan Valley) communicable disease plan virus-updates ~ On March 24, Chief and Council https://www.cowichantribes.com/applica mandated an indefinite office closure tion/files/1015/9379/9230/CT_Restart_Pl and essential services only, which was an_Member_update_PDF.pdf confirmed on April 1 by a Chief and Council Resolution ~Adopted Covid-19 Community Protection Bylaw; sets up rules and restrictions around non-resident visitors and allows for vehicle inspections ~Site contains detailed and comprehensive lists of actions the Tribes have taken in their response to COVID-19 Da'naxda'xw/Awaetl ~On their website they have requested http://danaxdaxw.com/info/ ala First Nation all visitors to contact them ahead of (Knights Inlet) time to visit the main village of Tsatsisnukwomi (New Vancouver) on Harbledown Island. Dzawada'enuxw First ~Created a phased restart plan https://www.kingcome.ca/covid19 Nation (DFN) (Queen ~During phase 1, as of July 14,th Charlotte Straight Visitors/non-residents are not allowed region) https://www.kingcome.ca/sites/default/f entry into the community; essential iles/Travel%20Form%20COVID19%20Pha travel is allowed for residents who must se%202%20and%20Above.pdf quarantine for 14 days upon returning ~During phase 2, visitors/non-residents must fill out and submit a travel form https://www.kingcome.ca/sites/default/f five days to the DFN Council before iles/Restart%20Plan%20COVID- travel in or out of community, including 19%20Pandemic%20Kingcome%20Village overnight or day trips. Residents will %20Community%20July%204%202020%2 have to fill out the form as well, as soon 0signed%20rsd.pdf as reasonably possible, before they travel. Daylu Dena Council ~Created a four phase COVID-19 https://kaskadenacouncil.com/covid-19- (Kaska Dena Council) response plan as the 3Nations (Kaska, emergency-management/ Tahltan and Tlingit Nations) which (Yukon) includes implementing communication https://3nations.org/covid-19-pandemic- strategies and securing communities, plan/ roads and access points to promote isolation and to delay the entry of COVID-19 Ditidaht First Nation ~Was initially closed to tourists and https://www.nitinaht.com/may-6-2020- (Vancouver Island) non-residents; introduced a phased ditidaht-community-recovery-plan/ recovery plan that sees the allowance of non-resident visitors and non-essential travel in phase 3 (date to be determined Ehattesaht First ~Travel ban info not listed on site https://ehattesaht.com/about-the- Nation ehattesaht-first-nation/# Esk'etemc First ~Travel ban info not listed on site https://www.esketemc.ca/media/ Nation (Fraser River) Fort Nelson First ~March 20, initiated its COVID-19 http://www.fortnelsonfirstnation.org/cov Nation pandemic plan that includes local and id-19.html international travel advisories http://www.fortnelsonfirstnation.org/upl oads/1/4/6/8/14681966/fnfn_covid19_p andemic_plan.pdf Gitanmaax First ~Travel ban info not listed on site http://www.gitanmaax.com/wp- Nation (Hazleton) content/uploads/2020/04/Federal-and- Provincial-COVID-19-Support- Summary_April-3-2020_1.pdf Gitga'at First Nation ~ On April 14, 2020, the Nation banned http://gitgaatnation.ca/news/community (Hartley Bay) non-essential travel into and out of the -closure/ community ~On July 21, 2020, they announced the http://gitgaatnation.ca/news/covid-19- complete closure of the Hartley Bay update-april-14-2020/ community to all non-essential workers, visitors, tourists and boaters; no access to the marina, fuel and the community. Gwa'sala- ~Travel ban info not listed on site http://www.gwanak.info/ 'Nakwaxda'xw Nation Hagwilget Village ~Community currently closed to visitors https://www.hagwilget.com/ (Hazeleton) and non-residents Haisla Nation ~Currently, there is a restricted access https://haisla.ca/coronavirus/ (Kitamaat Village) checkpoint in Kitamaat Village, and only Haisla members and HNC employees, as https://haisla.ca/covid-travel/ well a persons conducting business on behalf of the Nation, are allowed through the checkpoint ~Members travelling back to Kitamaat Village for a visit with family are asked to please fill out a digital travel form before Halalt First Nation ~Travel ban info not listed on site https://halalt.org/comprehensive- (Vancouver Island) community-plan/ Halfway River First ~Was in lockdown but has opened up http://hrfn.ca/ Nation one access to the main townsite and have asked members to keep traveling at a minimum Heiltsuk First Nation ~ Since March 27 have implemented https://www.heiltsuknation.ca/ (Bella Bella) mandatory travel restrictions including banning all non-residents and tourists https://www.heiltsuknation.ca/covid- from entering into community and 19/travel-advisory-for-heiltsuk-nation/ territories; any vessels travelling through territory are only permitted to stop for essential services (food, water, groceries, and fuel), and they must move on once those supplies have been provided. Services are to be provided with minimal contact ONLY, they are not permitted to disembark.