Race relations in northern Minnesota have come a long way since 1967, when a business leader in Bemidji used the radio to spread racist views about the Red Lake Nation.

The tribe kicked into action to speak out against the business owner, who eventually quit his chamber of commerce job and radio commentaries. A race relations council was created after the tribe organized an economic boycott in Bemidji.

Tribal and local leaders say significant progress has been made in the past 30 years. They note Bemidji's positive response after the March 21, 2005, shootings on the reservation.

"I really believe people saw beyond racial lines," Red Lake Chairman Floyd Jourdain Jr. told The Minneapolis Star Tribune. "There was a feeling of shared humanity that brought people together, and we were able to see past all our petty differences."

But problems remain. According to a 2003 Minnesota Statewide Racial Profiling Study, Indians in Bemidji were stopped by police at high rates and are twice as likely to be searched than non-Indians even though contraband was more often found on non-Indians.

Get the Story:
Red Lake: From condemnation to compassion during a crisis (The Minneapolis Star Tribune 3/14)
pwlat

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

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