Deh Gh Got' First Nation chief recommends community checkpoint

The chief of the Deh Gh Got'First Nation near Fort Providence, N.W.T, is recommending that his community set up a checkpointto prevent the transmission of COVID-19.

In an email Friday, Chief Joachim Bonnetrouge asked his band councilto isolate the community from unnecessary travel until further notice. He recommended establishing acheckpoint, to bemonitored 24/7, near the entrance to the community, off of Highway 3.

"Right now our community is just too wide-open," Bonnetrougesaid. "It's just too much coming and going."

The First Nation would still welcome grocery delivery trucks coming from Alberta and the territory's South Slave region.

The emailcomes just three daysafter theK'atl'odeeche First Nation near Hay River, N.W.T., announced a full lockdown of itsreserve until further notice. Checkpoints there are limiting entryto band members and essential delivery trucks.

As of Friday at 1:00 p.m. there were no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Northwest Territoriesand 275 tests had come back negative, according to the territorial Department of Health.

There's no real way to stop [COVID-19] right now except to isolate as much as we can.- Joachim Bonnetrouge, chief of Deh Gah Got'ie First Nation

The Deh Gh Got'First Nationis home to between 800-900 people, according to Bonnetrouge.

The chief said he'sconsideringkeeping a list of band members that have travelled to and from the community in recent weeksin order to ask them to self-isolate for 14 days.

"There's no real way to stop [COVID-19] right now except to isolate as much as we can," he said.

Like other First Nations in the territory, theDeh Gh Got'First Nationis also encouraging itsmembers to get out on the land. Bonnetrouge said they're looking for additional funding fromthe territorial or federal governments to supportthat.

Bonnetrouge said the First Nation began talks about responding to theCOVID-19 pandemica couple of weeks ago. He said it was hard to engage with elders at firstbecause few of themknew about the pandemic, but community members have been going door to door to speak with them.

"There's a lot of fear fear of the unknown," hesaid.

Bonnetrouge said the First Nationdoes not have any COVID-19 test kits. Community members have to travelto Hay River or Yellowknife to get tested.

'Only essential travellers should be coming in'

Dene Nation Chief Norman Yakeleyasaid First Nations should do whatever it takes to keep their members safe.

The Dene Nation will be providing communities with a survey on whatadditional resources they might need.

Yakeleya also recommendedthat the border between the N.W.T and Alberta be closed, during a press conference Friday

"Only essential travellers should be coming in," he said.

The main entry point to the Northwest Territories from Alberta is Highway 1, just south of Enterprise.

Yakeleya also said theterritoryshould ask everyone where they have travelled including Grande Prairie and Edmonton, Alta., where several cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed.

Yakeleya said he has been in contact with First Nations leaders in Alberta and Saskatchewanabout the flow of their members across borders.