Law | National

Tristan Ahtone: Former Native gang member tries to start anew

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Native Mob graffiti. Photo from Mafia Today

Reporting for Al Jazeera, Tristan Ahtone talks to a former Native Mob gang member in the fourth of a five-part series on Native gangs:

According to Boots, one of the last times someone tried to kill him was when an 8-year-old pulled out a revolver and opened fire.
The boy was a member of the Gangster Disciples, and Boots was a member of Native Mob, a notorious Indian gang based in Minneapolis and known nationally for its ability to function as an organized criminal entity as well as for its propensity for violence.
Luckily for Boots, the boy wasn’t a very good shot.
Since then, Boots has kept his eyes peeled for trouble.
Boots, 19, is one of dozens of Native American gang members who escaped arrest and indictment in 2013 after a massive local, state and federal takedown of Native Mob. With the arrests, the organization has gone underground and, in many places, nonoperational, leaving members like Boots with little to no support to fight off rival gangs or defend themselves from those looking to settle old scores.
Boots, who agreed to go on record if identified by his street name, is in a unique position. With the birth of his son only months ago, he decided to renounce his ties to gang life in order to raise the child. The problem is, his Native Mob former family and old rivals don’t care. A commitment to gang life is a life commitment.
He heard about Native Mob in second grade. Growing up in the East Phillips neighborhood of Minneapolis, Boots, an Ojibwe tribal member, had relatives and friends who were involved in the gang.
“I thought it was cool,” he said. “I seen my cousin selling dope, making money, having guns, all that. It was something I wanted to do.”
By seventh grade, he was a full-fledged member and quickly fell in line. Native Mob maintained strict codes of conduct, had hierarchical structures that had to be respected and enforced rules and regulations through violence.
According to Boots, one of the most common forms of punishment was “getting violated,” in which the offender had his hands tied above his head and was given a choice: get beaten on from head to toe for two minutes or get beaten neck to toe for five minutes. If the person getting beaten fell over or passed out, the clock would start over.

Get the Story:
Interview with a marked man: A former member of Native Mob tries to leave gang life (Al Jazeera 1/22)