SAULT STE. MARIE — The Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians is continuing work to restore tribal systems and gaming operations at five Kewadin casinos following a ransomware attack that impacted multiple phone and computer systems Feb. 9.

“We understand and share in our community’s frustration with this attack and the interruptions it has caused. I want to assure everyone that the tribe is working with cyber security experts and burning the candles at both ends to resolve this issue as quickly as possible,” Tribe Chairman Austin Lowes said in a press release issued Friday. “While progress has not been as fast as we would like, there is measurable progress, including the establishment of new phone numbers that have been posted to our tribe’s Facebook page. Right now, we expect the tribe will continue to operate in a limited capacity for up to another week.”

Few details have been released about the attack. However, according to Lowes, the attack on tribal systems is still ongoing.

“We also understand there is a desire for our membership to know the details of what happened and the specifics around what is being done to fix it. Unfortunately, given that this is an ongoing attack, we cannot share further detail at this time,” he said.

In a previous release, the tribe said it had enlisted the help of third-party experts. As of Feb. 11, there was an ongoing investigation into the attack.

Gaming operations were halted at 7 a.m. Monday, Feb. 10 across all Kewadin locations. The news followed a separate announcement by Kewadin the afternoon of Feb. 9 that, due to technical issues, the Manistique, Christmas and Hessel locations were closed as of 3:23 p.m. At that time, the Sault Ste. Marie and St. Ignace gaming floors were still open.

The incident prevented hotel guests from checking in at Kewadin hotels the afternoon of Feb. 9, though guests who were already checked in were permitted to stay.

The Kewadin website, www.kewadin.com, was also down Monday morning. By early afternoon, the website had been restored.

Despite the attack, tribal government services are open in a limited capacity. Tribal members have been advised to use direct lines to contact tribal departments and services. Those numbers have been posted to the tribe’s various Facebook pages.

“We greatly appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding as we work through this difficult issue. As it does with any challenge our people have faced, I am confident that our tribe will emerge stronger,” said Lowes.