My personal experience visiting "Red Lake Indian Reservation."

[mzmolly]

I visited the reservation when I was 12 with my then best friend, who's family was from the reservation. I recently found out that my ancestors lived there for a time in the early 1900's as well.

I grew up in depressed areas in the TC area, but had not witnessed the extent of hopelessness that this insulated community appeared surrounded by.

It was interesting because on the one hand, tradition was important and treasured, and on the other,people were trying to be part of greater society. Understandably, many seemed lost between two worlds.

One thing that struck me immediately when I visited, was that the even the younger teens seemed largely unsupervised (which was great as far as I was concerned back then.) The people I met, were often related in one way or another and/or knew one another quite well, so I suppose the need to monitor kids was not as great as it is in the TC? :shrug:

Because of the lack of supervision among those I visited with, very young kids were often "high" - sniffing glue or booze or smoking pot much of the time (myself included when I visited) and by the time we returned home in the evening the parents were often inebriated as well. The next day the goal for us kids was "when/how/where can we get high today?" What else to do right?

In the area I visited, the houses all looked the same, pretty much same floor plan, with varied colors is all. Additionally, the surrounding terrain was not beautiful like much of Minnesota is, it was empty and desolate.

For the most part the Reservation was made up of wonderful people ... with a great sense of humor ... who had little opportunity for employment and hope. Many in turn, self medicated with X Y or Z.

I had hoped things had changed at RLR with the casino's in the area, but I hear that's not the case. Today's news reported that the unemployment rate is about 60% and 40% of the people still live below poverty.

I can't speak for all who have lived or traveled there of course, as I'm certain that my experience doesn't speak for all. I can only speak for me.

I realize that Columbine was a different environment all together, and I wonder what these kids had in common?

I really hope that somehow we take this latest shooting incident and use it as a much needed catalyst for change.



http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050322/ap_on_re_us/school_shooting

The child who shot his classmates was apparently being treated for depression. I'm sure we'll learn much more tomorrow. :(

Night.

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. Now they are saying 10 dead

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050322/ap_on_re_us/school_shooting

[mzmolly]

2. 2nd largest school shooting ever in the US from what I gather?

Very sad.

[omega minimo]

3. Thank you for the sensitive post

When I heard this news I was most curious about this child of a reservation.

Like you, when Columbine happened, I hoped THAT would be occasion for some national reflection.

Richard Rodriguez on Jim Lehrer News Hour, did a great essay on Columbine. He discussed the architecture of the rich suburbs the schoolchildren lived in. Immense homes where, not only were neighbors isolated from each other, families were isolated within the house-- each member with their own zone, TV and computer....

Alienation the common thread? Hopelessness in isolation?

Please follow up here with more insights about this child as available...............

This story is a strange counterpoint to the day's issues of life and death and life as death and the cult of death in the name of life.

[FreedomAngel82]

4. That's really sad

:( I can't imagine that happening in my family. We're not close but we're not isolated either. I can't imagine being isolated from people like that. It'd feel weird being in that type of situation and I think it's dangerous personally for the teenage group. :\

[omega minimo]

5. His view on an architecture of alienation was striking and subtle

at a time when there was not much of ANY real examination of cultural factors contributing to Columbine. Only cliches about guns and videogames and black trenchcoats. The nation sidestepped looking at our short-attention span, instant gratification, violence-glorifying, hyper-caffienated, conformist, road rage culture. It was only 6 years ago?!

Michael Moore showed us the goon standing in front of the massive missiles at Lockheed Martin-- where most of the town/parents in Columbine worked-- acting like "What, me worry?" Total disconnect between sucking at the military industrial teat and raising mass killers.

Life and death are the issues of the day. I am a bit distracted by the way events have revealed inarguably that the Republicrites are Hypolicans. Up is down. Peace is war. Freedom is slavery.

:evilgrin:

[mzmolly]

6. Today they said the child was 16. His own father committed suicide

years ago, and his mother is incapacitated in a nursing home due to a near fatal car accident.

The boy lived with his grandfather, and last year was admitted to an institution as he was "suicidal."

He was on medication ~ apparently it was not helpful? :(

One common denominator aside from those you mention:

in all school shootings I'm familiar with, the "shooter(s) appear to be that the kids who are "teased." Eventually they become the ultimate aggressor. This boy was apparently the victim of much ridicule, and in a society that small, it's got to be devastating. Couple the school issues, with his personal history and ...



He was such a beautiful boy as I'm sure all those children were. Such a sad sad sad story.

[KitchenWitch]

7. I was subject to a lot of bullying in HS back in the 70s and early 80s

and although I never fought back, for many years had internalized the rage that comes from such treatment. It is in no way an excuse for what this young man did, but being the victim of bullying goes fairly far in explaining what happened. I would have thought teachers, and administrators would be a lot more enlightened about the effects of bullying on kids, especially since Columbine.

What was particularly disturbing about this one, was the fact that there was very little coverage, even on the local media (I live in the Twin Cities) until later in the evening and on the 10 o clock news. When Columbine happened it was wall-to-wall coverage for a good few days. It just shows the differences in media coverage when there are rich white victims versus poor victims of color.

[mzmolly]

8. Agreed. I'm in the TC and haven't seen much.

And one additional thing that's going to make this case different (in terms of coverage) is the fact that the Tribe does not want the media around. couple that with the fact that these were poor people of color, and buh bye coverage ???

I think it could be helpful for the Reservation if they were more "open" personally. There is much work to be done in that area. For example, I read that the school this boy attended was the second worst in the state in terms of test scores. :(

I so much agree that bullying is very serious and if my child were subjected to that and the school did not act, I'd be homeschooling or changing schools. But, in that area ~ schools are few and far between.

Much more to learn and act upon ey?

Violence begets violence.

[KitchenWitch]

9. That is true about the Tribal Council and the media

Red Lake being sovereign and all that, however, knowing the media, when there is a story, usually nothing holds them back....

My son experienced a little bit of bullying on the bus awhile back, he asked that I would not do anything for a time...so I did, and it got itself worked out. But if it had escalated, I would have been on the phone with the bully's parents, the school, the school's transportation service, etc until it was resolved.

[paula777]

10. I'm sure it will come out that this kid was on Prozac or another type

of anti-depressent. The two boys from Colombine had both been on them - Suicide rates for teens on prozac is much higher than the drugs companies are admitting ... bet this is going to be one more example. Heart breaking situation.

[mzmolly]

11. I agree. My moms friend (bi-polar) just stopped using a drug because

it made her aggressive. She said she felt like "killing people" and had never felt that way in her life.

Ya gotta wonder. :(