Floyd "Buck" Jourdain Jr., the chairman of the Red Lake Nation in Minnesota, recently sat down for a lengthy interview with Dorreen Yellow Bird, a Native reporter for The Grand Forks Herald.
Jourdain, 42, talked about the March 21, 2005, shootings on the Red Lake Reservation that left 10 people dead. "The shootings were the worst nightmare the tribe could imagine," he told the paper.
"We went into crisis mode. We had the world's eye on us, and we were trying to see past a backdrop of 10 people losing their lives," he said.
In the wake of the tragedy, the tight-knit tribe had to deal with a massive influx of outsiders -- federal officials, law enforcement and the media. Reporters seemed to be the most troublesome, Jourdain said, because they didn't respect tribal boundaries or understand sovereignty.
The crisis hit close to home when Jourdain's son was charged in connection with the attacks. Louis, 17, was recently sentenced to juvenile rehabilitation after he pleaded guilty to non-violent crimes.
"There was no privilege granted to my son," Jourdain told the paper, refuting allegations that his son received special treatment.
The tribe marked the one-year anniversary of the shootings two weeks ago. "We are being tested, and we will be stronger for it," Jourdain said.
Get the Story:HERALD EXCLUSIVE: The Red Lake Nation (The Grand Forks Herald 4/2) Relevant Links:
Red Lake Net News - http://www.rlnn.com
Red Lake Nation - http://www.redlakenation.org
Red Lake High School - http://www.paulbunyan.net/rlschools/hs.htm Related Stories:
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