Indigenous prayer ceremony held in south Minneapolis for Alex Pretti

Four days after the killing of Alex Pretti, an Indigenous prayer ceremony is being held in his honor.

Those four days represent the time believed to be needed for a spirit to transition.

"When our heart stops, our spirit disengages and it travels for four days to get to where we go, to back where we came from, to the forever life, the forever beautiful place," Fred Desjarlait, Red Lake cultural coordinator, said.

It's a community finding hope where they can.

"I think it is important for us to remember we have resiliency in our very bones, in our very bones. And I don't know about you, but I am exhausted. But I am not tired," Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan said. 

"If we don't continue to pick each other up and use the basic fundamentals of our Indigenous ways, our life ways, then a lot of things can go wrong," Desjarlait said.

They are growing stronger together through song and the sacred use of tobacco, smoke or dropped in a fire.

"Tobacco is that bridge between where we can use our energy, use our thoughts, our prayers, put it in there and make an offering," Desjarlait said.

An understanding that in sorrow and healing, no one is alone.

"Everybody knows that we're all in the creator's web. We're in this together," Desjarlait said.