>>> AN UPHEAVAL IN THE RED LAKE NATION HAS THAT COMMUNITY STILL TRYING TO SORT THROUGH WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.

LAST MONTH, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TOOK OVER THE PROGRAM, DESCRIBING LONGSTANDING ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE AND NEGLECT.

POTENTIALLY RESULTING IN THE DEATHS OF AS MANY AS EIGHT CHILDREN SINCE 2021.

MPR NEWS REPORTER MELISSA OLSON WAS IN RED LAKE TODAY AND WAS OUT IN RED LAKE TODAY AND JOINS US NOW LIVE.

MELISSA, GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

>> GOOD TO SEE YOU, CATHY.

>> LET'S RUN THROUGH SOME OF THESE ALLEGATIONS THESE ALLEGATION THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ARE MAKING.

WE SHOULD SAY, THE ALLEGATIONS OF EIGHT CHILDREN DYING ARE VERY, VERY SERIOUS.

WHAT ELSE IS BEING SAID.

>> SO IN ADDITION TO A NUMBER OF CHILDREN WHO ARE SAID TO HAVE DIED SINCE 2021 UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF RED LAKE'S CHILD WELFARE PROGRAM, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS ALLEGING THAT THE PROGRAM, WHICH IS KNOWN AS OMBY, HAS IMPEDED THE -- THE WORK OF FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS.

SO THEY MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO, LET'S SAY, OBTAIN RECORDS R REALLY COOPERATE IN ANY WAY WITH FEDERAL AUTHORITIES.

>> MELISSA, WE HAVE SOME IMAGES, AS WELL, WHILE YOU'RE UP THERE.

I THINK YOU WERE COVERING A VIGIL.

COULD YOU TELL US WHAT YOU SAW AND WHAT WAS HAPPENING THERE WITH THAT?

>> YEAH.

SO ON MONDAY EVENING, RED LAKE BOYS AND IRLS CLUB HELD A VIGIL IN THE COMMUNITY OF RED LAKE, WHICH IS ALSO SORT OF A TOWN ON THE RESERVATION, WHICH YOU'RE SEEING IS ABOUT 50 OR SO PEOPLE WHO CAME TO THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB AROUND 6:00 P.M.

ON MONDAY NIGHT, AND THEY GATHERED THERE, YOU KNOW, I THINK TO REALLY JUST BE PRESENT WITH ONE ANOTHER.

THERE WERE A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, HUGS AND A FEW TEARS.

THE RED LAKE NATION YOUTH COUNCIL REALLY HELPED LEAD THE EVENT, ALONG WITH SOME OF THE STAFF AT THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB.

THERE WERE THREE YOUNG MEN WHO SANG A COUPLE OF HONOR SONGS, AND THEN THERE WAS WHAT THEY CALLED A SMUDGE WALK.

PROBABLY ABOUT A HALF MILE AROUND THE RADIUS OF THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB.

AND IT WAS SORT OF A SYMBOLIC WAY TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS -- THIS IS THE START OF A HEALING JOURNEY.

IT WAS REALLY THE FIRST TIME THE COMMUNITY THERE HAD GATHERED SINCE THE BIA'S RELEASE OF ITS -- WHAT'S CALLED THE RESUMPTION NOTICE.

>> I'M WONDERING, MELISSA, WHAT'S THE REACTION FROM THE RED LAKE NATION TRIBAL LEADERS TO THIS.

>> YOU KNOW, THERE HASN'T BEEN A WHOLE LOT, CATHY.

YOU KNOW, INITIALLY THERE WAS A VERY BRIEF STATEMENT WHEN THE TAKEOVER HAPPENED ON SEPTEMBER 10TH.

AND THEN THERE WAS ANOTHER BRIEF STATEMENT WHEN THIS REASSUMPTION NOTICE FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CAME OUT.

IN BOTH OF THOSE NOTICES, THEY SAID THERE WERE, YOU KNOW, COOPERATING FULLY WITH THE BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS.

AND THEN THERE WAS SORT OF A FLURRY OF STATEMENTS.

THIS TIME LAST WEEK.

RED LAKE AT THAT TIME WAS -- THERE WAS SOME DISPUTE OVER WHETHER OR NOT THEIR CHAIRMAN HAD STEPPED DOWN, AND SO THERE WERE A NUMBER OF STATEMENTS THAT CAME OUT.

THEY TALKED -- THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT MISTAKES WERE MADE.

THEY REALLY DIDN'T ADD ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT THOSE MISTAKES MIGHT BE.

THEY ALSO PUSHED BACK ON SOME OF WHAT WAS IN THIS FEDERAL NOTICE, THIS REASSUMPTION NOTICE, SAYING THAT THERE WERE MISTAKES IN THAT DOCUMENT, AS WELL.

BUT THEY -- YOU KNOW, THEY EMPHASIZED THAT THEY ARE COOPERATING AND THAT THEY ARE CURRENTLY IN MEDIATION WITH THE BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS.

>> THERE IS THE LEADER OF THE RED LAKE CHILD PROTECTION SERVICES.

I'M WONDERING, WHAT IS THAT PERSON SAYING, IF ANYTHING?

>> REALLY, THERE IS REALLY NOTHING BEING SAID BY THE FORMER DIRECTOR OF THE OMBI PROGRAM.

>> FORMER DIRECTOR.

>> FORMER DIRECTOR.

THAT IS WHAT HAS BEEN MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES, IS THAT THE DIRECTOR IS -- IS NO LONGER THERE.

THERE HAVE BEEN NO STATEMENTS FROM THAT INDIVIDUAL.

I SHOULD BE REALLY CLEAR.

WE HAVE NOT HEARD FROM THAT PERSON WHATSOEVER.

>> MELISSA, COULD YOU GIVE US SOME CONTEXT?

BECAUSE BVIOUSLY THERE'S HISTORIC DISTRUST BETWEEN THE TRIBE AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

HOW IS THAT PLAYING INTO THIS SITUATION?

>> WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT IS A LONG HISTORY FOR SURE.

I THINK WHAT IS CRITICAL TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT REAASSUMPTION IN THIS CONTEXT IS THAT RED LAKE HAS FOR THE PAST -- SINCE 1997 -- OPERATED UNDER A FEDERAL COMPACT OR AN AGREEMENT TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THESE SERVICES AT RED LAKE.

AND THAT'S REALLY SORT OF A HARD-WON BATTLE WITH THE INDIAN AFFAIRS WHICH HAS ITS OWN SORT OF LONG HISTORY OF REMOVING NATIVE CHILDREN FROM THEIR HOMES.

YOU KNOW, THE BUREAU WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE IN MANY WAYS FOR, YOU KNOW, THE REMOVAL OF CHILDREN TO FEDERAL RESERVATION BOARDING SCHOOLS AND DAY SCHOOLS.

THE BIA WAS A PART OF REMOVING CHILDREN FROM THEIR HOMES INTO ADOPTIVE, NOT NATIVE FAMILIAR ADOPTIVE, NOT NATIVE FAMILIES IN THE 1950s AND 1960s.

BUT AFTER THE PASSAGE, THINGS BEGAN TO CHANGE.

THE INDIAN CHILD WELFARE ACT, THAT IS.

AND YOU HAD TRIBES AND RED LAKE ONE OF THEM, WHO HAD GRADUALLY TAKEN OVER WHO HAVE ENTERED INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE FAMILY AND CHILDREN SERVICES TO THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES.

>> FINAL UESTION HERE, MELISSA, WITH ABOUT 30 SECONDS LEFT.

WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS IN THIS STORY?

DO YOU KNOW?

>> THAT IS A REALLY GREAT QUESTION, CATHY.

YOU KNOW, THE STAR TRIBUNE REPORTED YESTERDAY THAT ONE OF THE CHILDREN WHO IS THOUGHT TO HAVE DIED IN THE LAST -- IN JULY MAY, IN FACT, BE ALIVE.

SO THERE MAY BE A NEXT PART OF THIS STORY THAT IS ABOUT RYING TO REALLY VERIFY AND TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE DISCREPANCY IN THE BIAs NOTICE -- YOU KNOW, MAY BE.

I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT DOESN'T TAKE AWAY, OF COURSE, FROM, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE DO KNOW.

AND THAT IS SEVERAL CHILDREN HAVE DIED IN THIS PROGRAM.

BUT I THINK THERE IS GOING TO BE NOW A PROCESS THAT UNFOLDS WHERE WE TRY TO UNDERSTAND THE ACCURACY OF THE DOCUMENT THAT THE BIA PUT OUT LAST WEEK.

>> ALL RIGHT.

MELISSA OLSON OF THE MPR NEWS NATIVE N