On May 11, 2020 the Oglala Sioux Tribe (OST) passed a resolution to quarantine the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation; effectively closing all of its borders in hopes of keeping the Covid-19 Virus from infecting the tribal population. This effort was done with the best interests of the OST tribal members in mind. The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation is one of the poorest counties in America. Indian Health Service (IHS) is the primary healthcare provider on the reservation. IHS is federally operated and is historically underfunded and ill-prepared for a pandemic. Like many other disenfranchised and oppressed communities in America, The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation is at an extremely high risk of infection and the projected mortality rate associated with Covid-19 is abysmal.

Lakota Culture is rooted in an oral tradition. Our elders are our connection to our past, they ground us in our present, and guide us into our future. Because elders have the highest risk of infection and death from the virus, the pandemic has become a threat to the survival of Lakota Culture.

Soon after the Oglala Sioux Tribe declared a quarantine, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, a staunch Trump Republican opposed to tribal sovereignty and free speech, demanded the tribe open its borders or face legal repercussions. The tribe refused, citing its rights to sovereignty which were promised by the U.S. Government in the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868. Noem continues to oppose the Oglala Sioux Tribe and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribes’ quarantines and border checkpoints despite judicial precedents reaffirming the sovereignty of tribal nations. Governor Noem has requested the aid of the racist Trump regime to make the tribes obey her orders and reopen their borders.

This issue is bigger than closed borders. This issue is about tribal sovereignty. This issue is about the survival of the Lakota People and our way of life. We continue to protect our most vulnerable tribal members as we await Noem’s next move.

The black and yellow checkered design is an international signal flag for quarantine. The Oglala Sioux Tribe flag is juxtaposed over the quarantine flag. The border of the design contains the 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty in its entirety. I chose to engage this issue with bandannas because they are a utilitarian object that is both accessible and ubiquitous. These bandanas are a tangible symbol of the rights and resolve of the Lakota people.