RED LAKE — The Bureau of Indian Affairs has reassumed immediate operations of family and children services in Red Lake.
Agents from the BIA and FBI executed a search warrant at the Ombimindwaa building there Thursday, Sept. 10.
“Throughout this process, our highest priority has been the safety and protection of the tribal members, especially those most vulnerable,” the BIA wrote in its undated statement.
“BIA staff are in place to immediately support the transition and ensure continuity of services. Our team is working to provide stability for children and families while maintaining the essential services and protections they rely on.”
No additional information regarding what federal law enforcement officials were searching for at the site was available as of Monday afternoon.
Ombimindwaa Gidinawemaaganinaadog is the Ojibwe title for Red Lake’s programming for family and children services. It translates to “uplifting our relatives.” The nation unveiled a new building for programming in 2023.
Red Lake Nation was one of the piloting tribes for the BIA’s Tiwahe Initiative, which redirected state and federal funds directly to tribes for culturally relevant programming.
“The safety and well-being of Red Lake’s children and families has always been, and will always remain, the Nation’s highest priority,” said Red Lake Tribal Chairman Darrell Seki Sr. in a Sunday statement.
The statement added that Red Lake Nation is committed to “ensuring this process is conducted with full respect for tribal sovereignty, due process, and the privacy of children, families and staff connected to the program.”
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