East side businesses worried Glacier will reopen, but they’ll be blocked from doing the same

After being shut down for nearly a year now, businesses on Glacier National Park’s east side are saying there’s a growing sense of frustration about whether they can even plan to open this summer.

Nathan St. Goddard owns Johnson’s of St. Mary just outside the St. Mary entrance to Glacier National Park. He said last week that local businesses are very concerned about the Blackfeet Tribe’s response to local businesses as the tourist season nears.

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the tribe shut down most businesses and lodging last year.

But now, people are getting vaccinated. In addition, lessons were learned from last summer where it was shown that tourists really weren’t spreading coronavirus anywhere near as much as it was feared they would as long as appropriate precautions were put in place, like wearing masks and practicing social distancing.

Glacier Park didn’t have a single case related to visitors, superintendent Jeff Mow has said in the past.

But Glacier Park businesses east of the divide are saying the rubber is about to meet the road if they want to open this summer. They need to hire staff in the next few weeks and try to get their merchandise ordered.

But right now, there is no timeline for reopening the east side of the park, and even if it does open, they’re worried that the tribe won’t allow them to open, just the businesses that are inside the Park.

A late January directive by the tribe isn’t helping matters.

Resolution 170-2021 states, “all tourist reservations shall be canceled if related to vacationing or recreating during this order, until the Department of Revenue issues an administrative order with safety protocols pursuant to approval by the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council in accordance with the current Covid-19 Phase of the Blackfeet Tribe.”

“I’m sorry, my tribe’s dysfunctional,” St. Goddard, who is a tribal member and an attorney, said.

He said the tribe is meting out directives about once every two weeks, and it’s impossible to make future plans.

“The biggest issue,” he said. “Is not knowing.”

Mark Howser owns the Two Medicine Grill, the Whistling Swan Motel, the Glacier Park Trading Company store and the Rock ‘n Roll bakery in East Glacier Park.

He agrees with St. Goddard that the lack of communication is troubling. He shut down everything but the store last March. He kept the store open with two part-time employees because tribal officials asked him to, as it’s the only grocery store in the area.

But he was limited in what he could sell to essentials, he said.

All told, his business is down 85%, he said. Howser said he’s very conservative with his budget and has been able to stay afloat with federal and state grants and the limited income from the store. He could survive another summer closed, but it would be tight, as he’d have to dive into savings to stay afloat.

He said his big concern is if Glacier Park does open the east side, but the tribe doesn’t allow east side small businesses to open.

Like Goddard, hiring staff is a big problem.

Howser said he probably won’t reopen the Rock ’n Roll Bakery. It’s hard to find a baker as it is. It’s even harder with the uncertainty.

“How can I hire someone and say, ‘I may have a job for you?’” he asked rhetorically.

He said there also seems to be a double standard on the reservation. The Glacier Peaks Hotel, which is tribally owned, is now open.

The Hungry Horse News called and was able to book a room for the end of the week.

The tribe did not immediately return a call seeking comment on the situation.

But there is good news, as of Monday, nearly 50% of the eligible population in Glacier County had at least had their first shot of Covid-19 vaccine, with  4,679  doses administered and 1,331 fully immunized. There’s about 9,876 people eligible in Glacier County for vaccination. The greater the vaccination rate, the safer the population becomes.

Herd immunity, where people won’t spread the virus because they’ve already had it or are vaccinated, depends on the disease. Estimates for Covid-19 from medical experts run the gamut from 50% to 90%. Measles, for example, require 95% vaccination rate, while polio, about 80%.

The businesses are hoping a reported early March meeting between the tribe and Mow will provide greater direction.

Until then, there are jobs at stake. St. Goddard says he employs about 40 people every summer, and Howser said he’s laid off 27.

Howser said he takes it one day at a time. He’s been in business in East Glacier Park for 26 years now.

“We assess the day and try to use our resources as best as we can,” he said.

But he’s worried about other business owners in town, especially those that have just started out and purchased motels. He wonders how they’ll survive without answers soon.

For St. Goddard, he said being an attorney was a initially a side job, but is now full-time.

If things don’t pan out with the restaurant, hotel and campground, there’s always law, he said.