He speaks slowly, pausing often to find just the right words that convey his feelings. Lakota families who don't like shelter life opt to live in Red Cross-donated tents. But if it would have changed things, there is no doubt that McLaughlin would have stared those tornadoes down. This Lakota Sioux is not one to surrender easily. He also participated in recent reservation rallies to proclaim justice for two Lakota Sioux recently found murdered in a field.
Camp fires provide heat for cooking.
During the rallies, which grabbed national media attention, protestors claimed that the killings were motivated by racism. The same fighting spirit that put McLaughlin in the rallies also caused him to rush into the heavy winds and hail that fell on that frightful evening. McLaughlin learned from those who saw them that two twisters swirled around each other in a deadly dance through the vulnerable reservation community. Luckily the tornadoes did not harm McLaughlin's home. The former U.S. Forestry worker accompanied his mother to the school where she was a door manager.