GILA RIVER INDIAN COMMUNITY HALLOWEEN HOLIDAY GUIDELINES

Communications & Public Affairs Office

Gila River Indian Community

(Sacaton, Arizona) – Taking into account the importance of our Gila River Indian Community (the “Community”) strong family holiday traditions and the effect of our strict COVID-19 public health measures on the mental health and well-being of all Community residents, and especially our children, while balancing the importance of continued vigilance against further spikes in new COVID-19 infections, and after consulting with the Community’s COVID-19 Task Force and carefully considering the recommendations of our Tribal Health Department, I, Stephen Roe Lewis, Governor of the Gila River Indian Community  have determined and hereby declare:

• That I approve the following recommendation of the Community Tribal Health Department setting forth certain Halloween holiday activities that may take place solely and exclusively for the period from October 31-November 1 (inclusive);

• That, pursuant to the authority and requirement set forth in the Fourteenth Clause of my Comprehensive COVID-19 Executive Order, the following activities are exempt from the requirement that all residents remain at their place of residence on the Reservation solely during the period from October 31-November 1, inclusive, provided they remain subject to the mask requirement, the limitation on number of people in a gathering or group (no more than 10), and to the social distancing requirement:

• With people you live with, doing a Halloween scavenger hunt where children are given lists of Halloween-themed things to look for while they walk outdoors admiring Halloween decorations;

• Participating in one-way trick-or-treating where individually wrapped goodie bags are prepared by a group of families and these goodie bags are: (i) lined up for families to grab and go while continuing to social distance (such as at the end of a driveway or at the edge of a yard); (ii) delivered to the end of your driveway by chute or zip line for children to retrieve at a safe social distance; or, (iii) dropped off for children at their homes. If you are preparing goodie bags, wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 second before and after preparing the goodie bag.

• I am explicitly confirming that door-to-door trick or treating, except in the limited circumstances described above is prohibited, as are any District-sponsored Halloween gatherings or parties that would bring together more than ten (10) people.

The attached Guidance in the form of “Frequently Asked Questions” provides more information about specific Halloween Holiday activities in which families may engage to celebrate this holiday with their children and families.

Frequently Asked Questions

On October 9, 2020, Governor Lewis approved Halloween Holiday Guideline recommendations prepared by the Tribal Health Department, in consultation and coordination with the Community’s COVID-19 Task Force.

These Halloween Holiday Guidelines indicate that many of the traditional activities associated with the Halloween Holiday still are too risky to allow for this year’s holiday, but that certain low-risk activities pose an acceptable level of risk.

This Q & A documents describes some of prohibited and allowed activities for you to have a safe and enjoyable holiday.

Will my kids be able to do the normal Trick or Treat? Unfortunately, no, kids will not be able to do the normal Trick or Treat this year. Tribal Health and the Task Force have confirmed that the risk is just too great.

Most tribes and other localities have come to this same conclusion. While the normal Trick or Treat of going door to door is prohibited, certain forms of “one-way” Trick or Treating have been determined to be relatively low risk and are allowed. One-way trick or treating would include any one of the following ways of “contact-less” trick or treating:

• One-way trick-or-treating where individually wrapped goodie bags are prepared by a group of families and these goodie bags are lined up for families to grab and go while continuing to social distance (such as at the end of a driveway or at the edge of a yard)

• One-way trick-or-treating where individually wrapped goodie bags are prepared by a group of families and these goodie bags delivered to the end of your driveway by chute or zip line for children to retrieve at a safe social distance

• One-way trick-or-treating where individually wrapped goodie bags are prepared by a group of families and these goodie bags are dropped off for children at their homes.

If you are preparing goodie bags, wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 second before and after preparing the goodie bag.

Can we have a Halloween get together? Yes, but only if you limit the gathering to people who live in the same house or a virtual party.

Will the Districts be able to sponsor Halloween parties for our kids? Unfortunately, no, the Tribal Health Department and the COVID-19 Task Force have determined that the risk of infection still remain too high for us to allow for groups of more than 10 individuals to get together.

As a result, we cannot allow any District to sponsor any kind of Halloween activity that would bring together more than 10 people at one time.

Can we decorate our houses, including carving pumpkins? Yes, and we encourage you to do so! It is important for our entire Community to find new ways to celebrate together, while still protecting each other and ourselves.

Decorating your house in the Halloween spirit would be a great way for us to show our Community pride and commitment. It would also allow kids an opportunity to take walks with their parents on October 31 and November 1 to visit and view your decorations so that the kids in particular can still have a way to enjoy this happy holiday.

Can our kids leave our house for any Halloween activity? Yes, on October 31 and November 1 only, your kids can leave your house for a limited number of activities, but only if they, and you, wear a mask, maintain social distancing, and do not gather in a group of larger than 10 people. The limited activities are as follows:

• With people you live with doing a Halloween scavenger hunt where children are given lists of Halloweenthemed things to look for while they walk outdoors admiring Halloween decorations at a distance, with masks, socially distanced, and in groups of less than 10.

• Participating in one-way trick-or-treating where individually wrapped goodie bags are prepared by a group of families and these goodie bags are: (i) lined up for families to grab and go while continuing to social distance (such as at the end of a driveway or at the edge of a yard); (ii) delivered to the end of your driveway by chute or zip line for children to retrieve at a safe social distance; or, (iii) dropped off for children at their homes. (If you are preparing goodie bags, wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 second before and after preparing the goodie bag.)

Can we have a Halloween costume contest? Yes, but you can’t do this in a group or gathering. We recommend you do this virtually, on Zoom or Face-time.

Can we visit other homes in our neighborhoods? No, you cannot visit other homes for Trick or Treating or for any other Halloween activity. You can walk past the homes in your neighborhood on October 31 and November 1 to have your kids view the Halloween decorations, and you can walk past other homes to pick up candy treats in “one-way”, contact-less trick or treating.

Can we drop off candy in goodie bags for kids at other homes? Yes, but you cannot bring these goodie bags to the door, you should leave them at the end of a driveway or edge of a parcel. You cannot drop off goodie bags by visiting other homes.

Can we do a Halloween scavenger hunt? Yes, but with your household members (people you live with) only in groups of less than ten (10), with masks and socially distanced.

What is “one-way” Trick or Treat? One-way Trick or Treating is “contact-less” Trick or Treating. This means that your kids can gather up goodie bags from other homes, or have them dropped off by others, only on October 31 and November 1, but the candy cannot be handed out person to person in any way.