"We are deeply troubled by the Star Tribune's unfair and offensive series on youth at the Leech Lake Ojibwe Indian Reservation. These articles carried very dangerous implicit messages.
Larry Oakes and the newspaper editors portray Ojibwe people as a danger to themselves and their children. In almost all the articles, nothing good comes from the Leech Lake people themselves. Family members and parents are a danger to children, supplying them with drugs, alcohol and bad role models.
In almost all the articles, if there are any potentially positive influences mentioned, they are white people such as county workers or white foster parents. In the articles, for kids to look forward to any positive outcome, they must leave the reservation or get adopted by a non-Indian family."
Get the Story:
Articles unfairly blamed Indians for their problems
(The Minneapolis Star Tribune 5/2)
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Beacons of hope for youth of Leech Lake
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Paper examines 'lost youth' of Leech Lake
reservation (4/26)
Opinion
Opinion: 'Offensive' series on reservation youth
Monday, May 3, 2004
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