BLACK RIVER FALLS, Wis. (WQOW) – On Thursday, Governor Tony Evers and his administration met with Ho-Chunk tribal leaders to discuss vaccination efforts among their members.
During their visit, Governor Evers and Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes toured a vaccination site geared toward tribal members.
“Every day we’re getting closer to beating this pandemic and returning to the Wisconsin and Ho-Chunk way of life,” Evers said.
Ho-Chunk Nation Department of Health Executive Director Kiana Beaudin said to date, they’ve administered more than 5,300 COVID vaccines to members of their tribe. Sixteen tribal members have died from the virus.
“Our communities are so small, our populations, that even one death is a huge impact,” Beaudin said.
Beaudin said some members are hesitant to get the vaccine, partially because they’re unsure how safe it is.
“Additionally for our tribes, there’s the historical trauma that has happened in the past relating to not only government but health care systems,” Beaudin said. “So, that’s another hurdle we have to overcome.”
An example of that trauma is the unauthorized sterilization of Native women in the 1970s.
During the press conference, Barnes acknowledged the tribe’s leadership.
“Taking into account everything that people did to make sure their communities were kept safe even if it meant sacrificing revenue at gaming facilities,” Barnes said.
Plus, a Ho-Chunk elder at the vaccine clinic shared how grateful he was to just receive his second dose of Moderna.
“I’m thankful that our tribal members are getting the vaccination, too. This makes it easier for us to maintain better in the pandemic that’s going on and we can be stronger as a nation,” said Lance Long.
So far, DHS officials said about 17% of indigenous people across the state received at least their first dose of the COVID vaccine, and 10% are fully vaccinated.