Tribal ceremonies such as sweat lodge gatherings and seasonal ceremonies, and larger gatherings such as pow wows and rodeos, are a vital part of cultural identity and traditional practices in tribal communities. CDC offers the following recommendations to help tribal communities, elders, and leaders decide how best to keep their communities safe and work to prevent the spread of COVID-19. These considerations are meant to support—not replace—tribal laws, rules, and regulations aimed at protecting the health of tribal communities.
The more people who attend a ceremony or gathering, the closer they are to one another, and the longer they gather together, the higher the risk of spreading COVID-19. The higher the level of community transmission in the area that the gathering is being held, the risk of COVID-19 spreading during a gathering.
It is important to take steps to protect tribal community members from getting sick before, during, and after participation in tribal ceremonies or other gatherings such as:
- funerals,
- sweats,
- pow wows,
- birthday parties, and
- rodeos.
This is especially true for tribal community members who may be at higher risk, such as tribal elders and people with underlying medical conditions.
The risk of COVID-19 spreading at events and gathering including tribal ceremonies and gatherings increases as follows: