Fall Break on the Rez

I found out that one of my student's older brothers died in an accident over fall break. Of course, I don't know the particulars, but I've had several students write about it in their journals (he was also the cousin of another student of mine). M., the sister, wrote that her "fall break was cheap." Cheap here means lousy, lame. She's only missed one day of school, and in class, she seems quite untouched. I'm curious about why. Is it shock? Is it cultural? Or maybe she just wasn't that close to her brother. I don't know. But I'll definitely keep an eye on her and try to be there if she needs an ear. From the journals, it sounds like there were quite a few nasty car accidents on the rez over break.