About 350 people pay respects to Red Lake Tribal councilman, natural resources director
I first started at the Bemidji (Minn.) Pioneer as an intern in the summer of 1996. That would begin six years as a news reporter, sports reporter and copy editor for a small, six-day-per-week daily newspaper in northern Minnesota. I wrote a large range of stories from multiple beats, to features to sports, my favorite being the coverage of the Red Lake Reservation High School basketball team named the Warriors. Here is a collection of my stories from my time at the Pioneer.
Feb. 1, 2001
By Devlyn Brooks
Staff Writer
RED LAKE -- From Little Rock to St. Paul to Washington, D.C., long-time Red Lake Tribal Councilman Lawrence Bedeau left a legacy of helping people and protecting natural resources.
On Wednesday he was given a warrior's burial as about 350 family members, friends and tribal members paid their respects at a community memorial service in the village of Red Lake. Bedeau died Friday at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis from an illness associated with diabetes, a disease he fought for years.
A 25-year tribal councilman from the Little Rock community, Bedeau, 56, also was praised for his 14 years as the Red Lake Band of Chippewa's natural resources director and for being a staunch supporter of tribal culture.
Powerful, compassionate, humorous, insightful, caring ... Bedeau's list of attributes was as long and impressive as his record of achievements, friends and family members said as they addressed the crowd at the Red Lake Middle School gymnasium.
The memorial ceremony, a blend of traditional Catholic and American Indian customs, was held at the public school to accommodate the large crowd that gathered to mourn Bedeau's death. Red Lake schools were let out for the day and tribal government also was closed for the day, as well.
Tribal Chairman Bobby Whitefeather said in a eulogy during the ceremony that Bedeau was a dedicated warrior for the Red Lake Nation, from his service in the U.S. Army in the 1960s to his service as the band's natural resources director to his service as a tribal councilman.
"We as a nation pride ourselves over what we call our warriors," he said, "but sometimes we lose sight of the people who sacrifice their lives. He was a warrior in every sense of the word."
Whitefeather added that if he were allowed he would bestow a Purple Heart, Silver Star and Medal of Honor on Bedeau for all of the years he gave of himself. He did award Bedeau's family an eagle feather, however, saying that eagle feathers are traditionally given to warriors before battle because it is believed they bestow spirit and strength upon the warrior.
Whitefeather thanked Bedeau's family for allowing him to serve Red Lake in so many capacities.
"We thank you for giving us Lawrence so that he could serve his nation," Whitefeather said, "and he served his nation admirably."
Other tribal officials also spoke of Bedeau's dedication, hard work and zest for taking care of all Red Lake's people and natural resources.
Tribal Treasurer Dan King said that Bedeau's voice "thundered through the council chambers" and that although there were many difficult issues the council decided, no one ever misunderstood where Bedeau stood on an issue. He always was forthright, King said.
Tribal Secretary Judy Roy said Bedeau helped get the Tribal Council through many difficult decisions as both a humorist and a moral compass.
"He was usually the one to say it when something had to be said. Lawrence would be the one to say, 'That's a goofy idea,' when the rest of us wouldn't," Roy said. "He was someone who gave us hell when we needed to catch hell. And he was one to cheer us up when we needed cheering up. And he was one to tell us stories when we needed to hear one. And he did that in a very personal way with each of us."
Roy told Bedeau's family that she appreciated them letting the entire Red Lake Nation mourn Bedeau's death with them.
"Grief is a very personal thing, and you've had to grieve in a very public way," she said.
Other family and friends said that in his last few years when Bedeau was fighting the severe affects of his diabetes, he never complained to anyone, continued with heavy workload and never expected sympathy. Whitefeather said that even though Bedeau had had both legs amputated and he was on dialysis, that Bedeau wanted to do more than he could until the end.
"He was a great gift to us all and he will be missed," Roy said.
After the ceremony, Bedeau's casket was carried by a horse-drawn wagon from the school to the St. Mary's Mission Cemetery a mile west of town. The funeral procession was led by a contingent of Red Lake Police squad cars, other emergency vehicles and vehicles from the Red Lake conservation office. All their emergency beacons were fully lit.
Bedeau is survived by four daughters Laureen (Merrill) Neadeau, Karen Bedeau, Connie (Burt) Bedeau, and Melani (Loren) Siegel; one son, Brian Jourdain Bedeau; eight grandchildren, one of which he adopted as a son, Steven L. Bedeau; four sisters, Alice Spears, Catherine Burns, Alberta (Truman) Norris; and Florence Bedeau; one brother, Melvin Bedeau; and nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by another adopted grandson, Todd, and a brother, Clarence Bedeau.
The Red Lake natural resources department staff served as Bedeau's pallbearers and all Red Lake tribal officials and Hereditary Chiefs were recognized as honorary pallbearers.
Comments