Red Lake hosting youth leadership conference

The Sixth Annual Red Lake Youth Leadership Conference will be next Tuesday through Thursday at Red Lake High School.

The conference theme this year is "Miikanaakeyang Giniigaanayi'iiminaan," or Making a Path for Our Future.

Motivational speaker Mr. Arnold Thomas will present the keynote address at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday and offer a workshop during the first session of the conference.

His presence was the initiative of the Red Lake Youth Council in response to the suicide. At age 18, Thomas attempted suicide, which left him blind and disfigured.

Workshops and presentations will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, and until noon on Thursday.

Topics will include suicide prevention, drug abuse, and teen pregnancy. There also will be youth basketball tournament, entertainment, banquet, door prizes and hip hop concert.

This is the sixth year that the Red Lake Tribal Council, tribal programs and other organizations have sponsored the event.