Beyond Red Lake — The Persistent Crisis in American Indian Health Care

On March 21, 2005, at the high school on the Red Lake Indian reservation in Minnesota, a troubled American Indian teenager went on a shooting rampage, killing nine people before turning the gun on himself. Most of the news reports highlighted his past, including a history of depression and suicide attempts, and the daunting socioeconomic conditions in his reservation community. Reporters mentioned high rates of poverty, alcoholism, unemployment, and violence among young people as possible factors in the tragedy. Although similar events have occurred in wealthier communities — the shootings at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, leap to mind . . .