The flag of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Indians. Image from Manataka American Indian Council

A family from the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Indians in Minnesota will finally be able to bury a loved one after a dispute with local authorities.

Mushkoob Aubid, 65, was a drum keeper and spiritual leader within the tribe. He died on Saturday after being involved in a one-car accident.

Authorities in St. Louis County, however, refused to release his body to his family. They wanted to conduct an autopsy, which goes against tribal beliefs.

A judge agreed with the family and, on Sunday, ordered the body to be released. But authorities were reluctant to do so family members held a protest later that day at the University of Minnesota Duluth, where Aubid was being held.

“This family comes from a community that has been very strong in hanging on to its traditional ways,” Lee Staples, a tribal elder, told The Duluth News Tribune. “They have buried their family members over generations and generations the same way.”

Aubid's body was finally released yesterday morning.

Get the Story:
Court Orders Release of Body Without Autopsy (WDAZ 2/11)
Body of Mille Lacs spiritual leader released to family (The Duluth News Tribune 2/10)
Mille Lacs Band members protest planned autopsy (The Duluth News Tribune 2/9)
District judge orders release of Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe man's body (NNCNOW.Com 2/9)
Autopsy Goes Against Man's Spiritual Beliefs (KQDS 2/9)