A Sleepy Eye farm family whose mother and 13-year old cancer ridden son have fled authorities has become a national story. CNN, Good Morning America. You name it, the national media is on it.
They're descending on 3,000 population Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, named after an Native American chief. The story has lots of what journalists call "narrative" elements moving through it. Small town America fighting big medicine. (The Hausers have fled because Daniel doesn't want to go through court ordered chemo to treat his cancer).
The story has religious freedom overtones as well. The family believes it is being denied a right to chose medical care more in tune with their spiritual beliefs, via the Nemenhah Band of Native Americans.
It's a life and death story. Daniel could die if he doesn't get treatment. The story certainly has human interest elements to it. Dad going through the daily routine on the dairy farm as his small children wonder where mom and brother have gone.
It's a sad story really, and could be a tragic story, and one that is not likely to die soon. Brown County authorities are working around the clock chasing down leads, responding to media requests, having daily press briefings in a jurisdiction that typically has one press briefing a year.
This story hits every Television/media viewer survey hot button, and the national media know this. It is likely to draw huge ratings and readership.
Already, the family seems to be worn down. A Star Tribune report quoted father Anthony Hauser as being more tired from media interviews and attention that he is from the daily chores of a dairy farm.
Stay tuned.
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I think you guys at the Mankato Free Press have done an exceptional job of following this story more in depth than other outlets with one exception. The Mankato Free Press has failed in it's duty to look into the Nemenhah. It is a fictitious "Native American" band with no solid evidence of ever existing aside from some scripture which oddly enough, only the founder of the band can translate (much like the Book of Mormon). The leader of this band is a convicted fraud felon with roots in the LDS church.
ReplyDeleteI do not doubt their (the Nemenhah) beliefs but I feel the Hausers simply used this band for their benefit in their attempts to claim religious freedom.
You've done a great job but I think you dropped the ball on not doing a more in depth look at this "band of Native Americans."
Bundy. If you have a link to the fraud charge, I would be interested in seeing it.
ReplyDeleteWe can still follow up on this group, though they are issuing press releases saying the Hausers shouldn't flee authorities.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/05/21/national/main5030196.shtml?tag=topHome;topStories
ReplyDeleteI cannot vouch that this link is accurate, I was unable to copy and paste it so it's very possible that I could have made a typo.
Near the bottom, the article (which is a verbatim article released by the AP) states that Phillip Landis, founder of the Nemenhah, was convicted of fraud. I've seen several statements that he has been convicted of fraud in at least two states but I cannot verify that at this time.
Additionally, many real Native Americans have called the Nemenhah a sham organization (for profit), including Al Carroll.