Death Of Tribal Band Member Causes Controversy

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The recent death of a Mille Lacs Band member is causing some controversy.

The tribe says following the man’s death, doctors ignored family objections and brought him to UMD’s medical center for an autopsy.

We’re told that is against his tribe’s spiritual beliefs, which prohibit bodies from being tampered with in any way before a burial and requires families be with the deceased immediately following the death.

“Can you imagine having lost a close relative and you couldn’t get access to them, you had some authority figures holding them back from you,” said Obizaan Staples, a spiritual adviser for Mille Lacs Reservation.

A court order late Sunday night allowed for the man’s body to be returned to his family Monday morning without undergoing the autopsy.