Red Lake holds healing day

By Molly Miron
Bemidji Pioneer

RED LAKE — Two years and two days after the Red Lake shootings of March 21, 2005, members of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa gathered Friday to create a healing vision for their nation.

On the day of tragedy, 16-year-old Jeff Weise killed his grandfather and grandfather’s girlfriend at their home. He then went to Red Lake High School and killed five students, a teacher and a security guard and injured seven others before killing himself.

Led by Larry Stillday, spiritual leader, and sponsored by the Red Lake Tribal Council, Red Lake Coalition Red Lake Chemical Health Program and White Bison, people still suffering from the aftermath of the shootings sought ways together to resolve their grief.

The opening prayer expressed their unresolved grief and loss: “Grandfather, look at my brokenness. … Grandfather, Sacred One, teach us love, compassion and honor that we may heal the earth and each other.”

At the meeting in the Red Lake Humanities Center, one avenue to healing the people explored was the Sacred Hoop of Nations.

Marlin Farley of the White Earth Nation, where the Sacred Hoop has held a place of honor since 2005, explained the vision that led White Bison to build the Sacred Hoop. He also described the spiritual renewal it brings.

“Whenever we bring this hoop into a community, a whirlwind of healing occurs,” he said.

Following an interlude for honor songs by the P-town drum group from Ponemah, Farley explained that White Bison is an organization started in 1988 by Don Coyhis of the Mohican Nation. White Bison teaches Wellbriety — sober lifestyles balanced with mental, physical, spiritual and emotional health through traditional philosophy and culture.

The Sacred Hoop rests on four willow posts and is divided into the elemental American Indian colors in quadrants of white, black, red and yellow. Suspended from the hoop are 100 eagle feathers donated by Indian communities across the United States and Canada. Farley said the hoop was built by women during a special ceremony in 1994 in Jamesville, Wis.

The Sacred Hoop offers a challenge, as well as healing, Farley said. The goal is for 100 communities by 2010 to join White Earth and others in a commitment to the Wellbriety principals of White Bison. That commitment will bring each committed community hope, healing, unity and the ability to forgive the unforgivable.

A program developed from the Sacred Hoop principles resulted in the Sons and Daughters of Tradition at White Earth, Farley said. The program has graduated 250 youngsters giving them the ability to resist the dangers of drugs, alcohol and gang violence.

“We know today our culture is prevention,” Farley said. “We have hope that our kids don’t have to suffer any more.”

He said the Sacred Hoop has resulted in healing people with deep sickness, including his own addictions.

“This hoop also has power that brings us together today,” he said. “This hoop doesn’t belong to White Bison. It doesn’t belong to the sobriety movement. It belongs to you.”

Stillday asked Red Lake High School students in the Project Preserve program, teenagers who lost their schoolmates during the 2005 shootings, to speak during the healing event Friday. Two students described their vision for a peaceful community.

“I think the reservation would be better without gangs, drugs and violence,” said Bianca Mendoza.

“I think the reservation would also be better if we had more traditional teachings from elders, and we should get rid of gangs and drugs and alcohol,” added Ryan Brown.

“And we wish we could be up here speaking Ojibwemowin (Ojibwe language),” said Diane Schwanz, Project Preserve teacher.

Stillday said the focus for a better nation must come around to the children.

“They belong to the Creator,” Stillday said. “We are caretakers of our children. … That’s what this hoop is about, getting our minds straight again, thinking right.”