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In February, the families of Autumn Irene Martineau (Fond du Lac) and Mushkoob Aubid (Mille Lac) successfully fought to keep their deceased loved ones from undergoing autopsies. According to the families, autopsies would have violated their religious and cultural practices. Minnesota state lawmakers are now considering legislation that would allow religious objections to autopsies. In some cultures, autopsies are considered a spiritual violation and a disruption to the grieving process. In other cultures, autopsies are viewed as a way to provide valuable information and bring people to justice. Do autopsies go against your values and traditions? Should families be required to compromise their values and allow an autopsy when there are unanswered questions about why a person died?
Guests:
Gail Kulick – attorney and lobbyist for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
Dr. Mary Ann Sens – medical examiner for eight Minnesota counties, professor of pathology at the University of North Dakota and the coroner for Grand Forks County
Break Music: Naive Funk (song) Burning Sky (alum) Blood of the Sky
