Reservations account for high suicide rate

Tuesday, November 27, 2007  

The suicide rate for American Indians in Beltrami County, Minnesota, is 2.5 times higher that of whites, The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Portions of the Leech Lake Reservation and the Red Lake Reservation lie within the county. One of the most recent suicide victims was a 12-year-old Red Lake who died last month.

"Just when you think you're making progress, all of a sudden there's another setback," Red Lake interim school superintendent told the paper.

The suicide rate in the county is 2.5 times that of other counties in the state. Officials say poverty, isolation, substance abuse and family fragmentation contribute to the high rate.

Get the Story:
Suicides haunt Beltrami County (The Minneapolis Star Tribune 11/27)
pwlat

Relevant Links:
Red Lake Net News - http://www.rlnn.com
Red Lake Nation - http://www.redlakenation.org

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