All The Ways I Carry Him

Gun violence has touched my life personally more than once. My brother, Austin Fullerton, was killed at 17, and now another childhood friend has lost his life. For many of us in Wolf Point, this is not a headline, it is a cycle that keeps breaking our families and our hearts.

This most recent death was deeply personal to me. The man who was killed was my childhood friend. Ira Follet. He was the boy who taught me how to ride a bike, teased me like a brother, and walked me to school when we were little. His life was complicated, as so many are. In recent days, he was accused of harming someone else. I do not excuse those actions, and I acknowledge the pain that was caused. But I also remember the little boy who was my neighbor, my friend, and my protector. He was human, and he mattered.

Every life lost to gun violence is a reminder that the systems meant to protect and nurture us are failing.

In Roosevelt County, injury deaths are 82% higher than the Montana state average. A significant portion involves firearms, and American Indian and Alaska Native people in Montana are five times more likely to die by gun homicide than white residents.

It’s not enough to mourn after the fact. We cannot accept a future where “thoughts and prayers” are our only response while another family prepares for another funeral.

Montana’s gun death rate has increased by 34% since 2014, and the state ranks 47th out of 50 states for the strength of its gun laws. Our community has been bleeding for too long. Just weeks ago, another family was lost to gun violence. These deaths are not isolated incidents.

Historically, violent crime on the Fort Peck Reservation has been five times higher than the rest of Montana, with nearly 40% linked to substance use.

This is not a new problem. It is a long-standing crisis that demands leadership, planning, and action.

We are entering a new election season for Tribal Council. This is a moment for accountability. Our people deserve leaders who don’t just post condolences, but who will outline and implement solutions:

• Community safety initiatives that address guns and violence directly.
• Mental health and trauma support that reaches families before they spiral into crisis.
• Youth prevention programs that give our children safe places to grow, belong, and be guided.
• Addiction recovery resources that treat substance use as a health issue, not just a criminal one.

Gun violence is not inevitable. It is preventable. But only if we refuse to normalize it, refuse to stay silent, and demand more from those we elect to lead us.

I am calling on the Fort Peck Tribal Council and every candidate running for office: show us your plan. Show us that you see the crisis. Show us that you are ready to act, not tomorrow, not after another tragedy, but now.

Because our lives, our children, and our future depend on it.