Reporter Larry Oakes of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, grew up on Cass Lake.  His family, he said moved up to Cass Lake as his father took a job at a local bank, and, as he said “were probably seen as part of the problem.”

In 2002, he and a photographer went back to the Leech Lake reservation to live for six months.  Their time there resulted in a series called “The Lost Youth of Leech Lake”, a series that chronicled the stories of deep sadness and hope among the children on the reservation.

From the Star-Tribune:

“…The stories contain information from criminal court files, police reports, birth and death records, government studies, nonprofit studies, census data, newspapers, books and data provided by the state and reservation governments. They interviewed scores of teens and young adults, school officials, social workers, teachers and parents.

Oakes and Holt visited Darryl Headbird Jr. in prison several times. Oakes interviewed him, Sierra Campbell and their families extensively in person, by telephone and by letter.”