Chippewas shutting out rest of world to mourn

[G_j]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0503240248mar24,1,4673700.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed&ctrack=3&cset=true

Chippewas shutting out rest of world to mourn

By Margaret Ramirez
Tribune religion reporter
Published March 24, 2005


As the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians mourned the deaths of its community members, tribal elders sealed off their reservation and gathered Wednesday, alone in their grief.

The isolation offered little insight into why a 16-year-old Chippewa shot his grandfather, eight others, and then himself. But the separation from the outside world does shed some light on Chippewa culture, religious beliefs and their rituals at death.

The Chippewas are one of the largest American Indian groups in North America with nearly 150 bands throughout the northern United States and southern Canada. In historical texts, the Chippewas explain that they are "one people with three names" and are referred to as Chippewa, Ojibwa or Anishinabe. While Chippewa is the official name recognized by the U.S. government, Ojibwa is more popular and preferred among members of the tribe.
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"The fact that they want to separate themselves makes a lot of sense to me. They want to deal with their own people, and that's a very Ojibwa way to do things," Vecsey said.

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[GOPFighter]

1. My heart goes out to Red Lake Band of Chippewas

The only time Native Americans get noticed is when they open a casino or a tragedy like this occurs. Too bad our "compassinate conservative" government is too busy making money and posturing for votes to pay any attention to the people in America who are hurting, who live in areas of high unemployment. No one gives a damn about the Red Lakes all over the country until violence boils over, and then everyone gasps and says "How did things get this bad?"