Feds Take Over Red Lake Child Welfare Program After Deaths

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) has assumed control of the Red Lake Nation’s child welfare program, Ombimindwaa Gidinawemaaganiaadog, following an emergency legal move. The takeover occurred after federal agents raided the program in September and the BIA determined there was an "escalating danger to children served through its child welfare program."

Federal Findings and Legal Basis

The BIA’s emergency reassumption notice, sent to Tribal Chairman Darrell Seki Sr. on Sept. 9, cites a refusal by Red Lake to cooperate with federal authorities. According to the letter, the program continues to place children in "dangerous situations where they are subject to abuse and malnutrition, placing them in immediate and significant risk of serious harm, including death."

The BIA stated that Ombimindwaa employed a convicted sex offender, several convicted murderers, and numerous convicted felons. The agency noted that federal officials first became concerned in 2021 when the FBI learned a child died after their mother, a known addict, passed out. The FBI subsequently tracked incidents where staff failed to notify law enforcement of neglect despite knowledge of unsafe conditions.

History of Deaths and Neglect

Records indicate at least eight children have died from malnutrition, abuse, neglect, and drug overdoses, with two deaths occurring in July 2026. The BIA letter details several specific cases:

• December 2022: Two children died. School staff had provided mandated reports stating one child lived with nine others in a house with no heat, no running water, and a lice infestation. Ombimindwaa staff refused to enter the home, and the FBI enlisted tribal police to remove the remaining children after two months of requests.
• January 2023: A child died from a drug overdose in Bemidji. Tribal police told federal investigators that Ombimindwaa had placed the child back with the mother after initially removing them due to a positive fentanyl test at birth.
• July 2023: A child overdosed on their mother’s fentanyl and was flown to Sanford hospital in Fargo, N.D. Doctors contacted the FBI, and federal investigators were informed that Executive Director Cheri Goodwin overruled a home removal directive.
• July 2026: After one child died, Ombimindwaa staff informed the FBI and tribal police they would allow parents to maintain custody of another child in the same residence. That child later died.

Additionally, a case involving Jennifer Stately, who was found guilty in February of murdering her two sons, highlighted issues with record-keeping. The BIA stated Ombimindwaa refused to provide records despite receiving two mandated reports on the children in 2019 and 2021.

Tribal Response and Data Discrepancies

The Red Lake Tribal Council issued a statement saying it is cooperating with the BIA and appealing the decision. "The safety and well-being of Red Lake’s children is, and always has been, our highest priority. We take the concerns raised extremely seriously," the council said.

The BIA letter criticized the annual reports Ombimindwaa submits to the Minnesota Legislature, describing the data as "unrealistic." Executive Director Cheri Goodwin wrote in a report that child maltreatment reports decreased by half, from 641 in 2023 to 313 in 2024. Goodwin noted that the program screens out a significant percentage of reports by referring families to voluntary services, adhering to a philosophy that "children are best provided for within their own family structures."

Why it matters

The federal takeover of a tribal child welfare program is a rare and significant intervention that raises questions about tribal sovereignty and federal oversight. The BIA’s action highlights severe systemic failures in protecting vulnerable children and underscores the tension between tribal self-determination and federal mandates to ensure child safety. The ongoing investigation and legal appeals will likely set precedents for how federal agencies intervene in tribal governance when child welfare standards are not met.

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Sources

• startribune.com: Deaths, abuse and neglect prompt feds to take over child protection at Red Lake
• yahoo.com: BIA Reports: Feds Take Over Red Lake Nation’s Child Welfare Program After Deaths of Eight Children

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.