Red Lake update: Fewer headlines, more trouble

It is no great surprise that the torrent of media interest in Red Lake would fade within a few months of this spring's notorious school shooting rampage. That's the nature of the reporting on Indian Country. Every now and then, something utterly appalling occurs and we are awash in stories about the pathos of reservation life. Then, just as predictably, the stories--and political interest in solving the underlying problems--begin to wane.

Native journalist Jodi Rave, who specializes in covering Indian issues, bucks the trend. Most recently, Rave retuned to Red Lake, where she reports on a recent wave of suicides and suicide attempts among reservation teens.

The most dismal entry:

For the past five years, [Health official Fred] Desjarlait has kept a database of suicide attempts and completions by Red Lake tribal citizens. Last year, 69 teenagers attempted suicide. Since January, 15 youths have tried to kill themselves.

Meanwhile, MPR reports that Red Lake leaders are worried that their plea for more financial assistance from the federal government "has fallen off the funding radar screen."