RED LAKE TEEN: NOT ALONE IN HIS DESPAIR -- From the Public Education Network

The recent murders at Red Lake Indian Reservation highlight the problems that American Indian teenagers have been quietly suffering in greaternumbers than most adolescents: suicide, violence, depression andpregnancy. By themselves, the numbers for the Red Lake Indian Reservationare staggering. A state survey conducted last year of 56 ninth-gradersshowed that 81 percent of the girls and 43 percent of the boys hadconsidered suicide. Almost half the girls said they'd actually tried tokill themselves, reports Deborah Hastings. Twenty percent of boys said thesame -- numbers about triple the rate statewide. The Minnesota survey ofRed Lake students said they assaulted other classmates and used morealcohol and drugs than other students across the state. Nationwide figuresshow that American Indian teenagers commit suicide at three times thenational rate; are involved in alcohol-related arrests at twice thenational average, and die in alcohol-related incidents at 17 times thenational average. They are third-highest in teen pregnancies, behindHispanics and blacks. ''Only the most gifted students can overcome thisstuff," said Bill Lawrence, publisher of the Native American Press-OjibweNews.http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-shoot27.html

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