RESOLUTION NO. SS-2020 LAC COURTE OREILLES PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICER WHEREAS. the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians is a federally recognized Indian tribe organized pursuant to the provisions of the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. 25 U.S.C. § 461. et seq.; and WHEREAS. the Tribal Governing Board serves as the governing body of Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians pursuant to Article III, Section I of the Amended Constitution and Bylaws of the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians; and WHEREAS. pursuant to Article V. Section I (h) and (s) of the Amended Constitution and Bylaws of the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, the Tribal Governing Board possesses certain powers, including: "to engage in any business that will further the social or economic well-being of members of the Band" and "to promulgate and enforce ordinances governing the conduct of members of the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin and providing for the maintenance of law and order and the administration of justice by establishing a tribal court and defining its duties and powers;" and WHEREAS, the recent outbreak of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) in the United States and worldwide poses a threat to the health. safety and well-being of the Tribe and the community at large; and WHEREAS. COVID-19 is a respiratory disease that can result in serious illness and death and possesses a higher risk to our elders and community members who have underlying medical conditions such as compromised immune systems or respiratory issues; and WHEREAS, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a Public Health Emergency and an International Pandemic on March 11. 2020; and
WHEREAS. the United States of America has declared the ongoing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) a pandemic of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant an emergency declaration for all states. tribes. territories, and the District of Columbia pursuant to section 501 (b) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. 42 U.S.C. 5121-5207 (the "Stafford Act'"); and WHEREAS. the Tribe shall coordinate and maximize all efforts and call upon County, State, Tribal and Federal Resources to assist in addressing the situation and to protect the health. safety and well-being of our community; and WHEREAS, in an effort to slow the transmission and decrease the spread of COVID-19, the tribe finds it is necessary to appoint a public health officer to address public health and safety issues related to this pandemic and to provide for the well-being of the Lac Courte Oreilles community members and employees. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the Tribe's entities are hereby directed to coordinate the use of Tribal Resources with the Lac Courte Oreilles Public Health Officer. NOW THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED. that the Lac Courte Oreilles Public Health Officer has the authority to coordinate with local. state and federal partners according to the sovereign powers of the Tribe to respond to a public health emergency. NOW THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Tribe's Public Health Officer, upon the appearance of any communicable disease on the reservation, shall immediately investigate all the circumstances and make a full report to the Tribal Governing Board. The Tribe's Public Health Officer shall promptly take all measures necessary to prevent. suppress and control communicable diseases. The Tribe's Public Health Officer may inspect schools and other public buildings within the reservation as needed to determine whether the buildings are kept in a sanitary condition . NOW THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED. that the Tribe's Public Health Officer may do what is reasonable for the prevention and suppression of disease, including forbidding large public gatherings and ordering individuals, at risk of spreading the communicable disease. to be isolated and/or quarantined for a period as determined by the Tribe's Public Health Officer. NOW THEREFORE BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED. that any person in violation of the Tribe's Public Health Officer·s order for isolation or quarantine is subject to an injunction and/or civil penalty in accordance with the Lac Courte Oreilles Tribal Court Code.