Red Lake school shootings

By Kay Miller

Tribal official Erma Vizenor calls Red Lake a wake-up call.

VIZENOR, 61, WAS THE FIRST WOMAN TO BE ELECTED TRIBAL CHAIR OF WHITE EARTH RESERVATION. AFTER EARNING THREE ADVANCED DEGREES AT HARVARD, SHE RETURNED TO WHITE EARTH'S TRIBAL SCHOOL, WHERE AS A TEACHER AND ADMINISTRATOR SHE WAS DEEPLY INVOLVED IN CHILDREN'S LIVES. FOR 20 YEARS SHE AND OTHER ELDERS IN THE WHITE EARTH OJIBWE HYMN SINGERS HAVE CONSOLED MOURNERS AT FUNERALS.

"The relationships among Indian tribes are close. We have relatives in each of those tribes -- Leech Lake, Red Lake, Fond du Lac, Mille Lacs. Whatever happens to our relatives at Red Lake happens to us. The tragedy in Red Lake numbed White Earth. It numbed us. There was silence and a profound sadness.

"No Indian community is immune from tragedy. It made me feel thankful that all was well at White Earth. But my heart was aching for the people of Red Lake. I could understand it in an abstract sense, but to really accept it was difficult simply because this could happen to us.

"We live daily with loss that we don't fully understand. Probably the No. 1 cause of death among our young people is accidents. So it's tragic. Yet it's a part of our lives.

"[Red Lake] was a wake-up call for us to pay more attention to our young people. That was one lesson. The other is that we value the relationships that we have because they pull us through very difficult times. Life is sacred. Every family looked at their children in a new and different way, just being thankful that we have them."