Federal agency takes control of Red Lake Nation’s child welfare
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The Bureau of Indian Affairs now manages child and family services for the Red Lake Nation in northern Minnesota, after the FBI searched the tribal agency’s headquarters on September 10.
The BIA took control to guarantee the safety of children and families, citing authority under the 1975 Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act. This act allows the federal government to resume control of programs if a tribe faces risks of harm, financial mismanagement, or improper handling of funds.
The Red Lake Nation previously managed its own child welfare cases, beginning in 2021, and prioritized keeping families together and preserving their culture. The Nation’s 2026 tribal child welfare report showed a decrease in child maltreatment reports from 641 in 2023 to 313 in 2024, and a 51 percent drop in substantiated child victims since 2021. The BIA has previously taken over child protection services from other tribes, including the Spirit Lake Nation in 2012.
While the Red Lake Nation retains oversight of family data, the reasons for the FBI search and the BIA takeover remain largely unexplained, and tribal officials have not yet publicly detailed the situation. The Nation’s Tribal Chairman, Darrell Seki Sr., affirmed that the safety of children and families is the community’s highest priority.
