Linda Bertrand: "Crime in this area almost seems an everyday occurrence. I honestly avoid Cass Lake, although I love the recreational opportunities in the area. It just feels so unsafe. I hope your series will open the doors for a serious examination and rebuilding of the Leech Lake community; it's long overdue."

Louise Shelley: "I'm sure that life will improve here because of your writing, and in general I think people are happy with it."

Rebecca Garay-Heelan: "If we can invest billions of dollars in places like Iraq, why can't we do that in our own state? It is cruel for poor working people, particularly people of color, to see that new immigrants to Minnesota are guaranteed housing, medical, social and other supports, while many of them have not enjoyed the same privileges, even after two or three generations of doing menial jobs."

Terri O'Shea: "I used to live on the Leech Lake rez, but recently moved to California. The main reason I wanted to get away was for my children's sake. I'm a single mom of five and I could see what was going on around the community with the other youth, but also I knew most of their parents and what kind of lifestyles they led."

Robert Albee: "I wonder if Star Tribune reporter Larry Oakes couldn't help those of us living in Minneapolis to see a broader story beyond the Indian reservation where he grew up. Last summer one of our staff from the American Indian Community Development Corp. was beaten to death by two native youths across the street from Little Earth."

Troy Baker: "My name is Troy Baker and I am 32 years of age. I am one-eighth Ojibwe Anishanabe and from the Leech Lake Reservation. As a child in the summer months I lived on Tract 33. It has always been a place of poverty, but never have I seen it as it is today"

Becky Olson: "I don't know if I should say "Thank you" or, sarcastically, "Thanks a lot" for the series on the Leech Lake Reservation. My family and I have had some powerful discussions about the series, and we mostly feel saddened by it. The point is not that we don't want to look at what exists there, but we are mostly sad that the focus is on the negative."

Ruth Tatter: "My heart aches this evening as I read through your article. When I heard of the teens who killed a man in Cass Lake, I didn't want to think one of them was the Jesse Tapio I had as a first-grade student"

Lawrence Paukstat: "I'm very happy with your reporting on what is happening to our young people on reservations. These issues are widespread on just about all reservations throughout the country."

Get the Story:
The Lost Youth Of Leech Lake (The Minneapolis Star Tribune 5/2)
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Full Series:
The lost youth of Leech Lake | Slide Shows | Discussion Forum | About this series | Editor's Note

Related Stories:
Beacons of hope for youth of Leech Lake Reservation (4/27)
Paper examines 'lost youth' of Leech Lake reservation (4/26)