Huy, California Tribes Further Decry Golden State’s Deprivation of Indian Prisoners’ Religious Freedoms

Jul 20th, 2013

Huy as well as the Pit River and Round Valley Indian Tribes further decried the State of California’s “emergency” regulation denying indigenous prisoners access to items used in religious ceremony and access to sweatlodge ceremony.

The state’s rulemaking was denounced by the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians through its Resolution #13-63 dated May 13-16, 2013, which provides in pertinent part:

ATNI specifically denounces and opposes the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s “emergency” amendments to Section 3190(b) of the California Code of Regulations, Title 15, Crime Prevention and Corrections, and related regulatory restrictions regarding American Indigenous Peoples’ religious properties and sweatlodge ceremonies, because those state regulations violate federal, state and international law, were promulgated without any consultation with American indigenous governments, and are contrary to the penological interest of rehabilitating incarcerated American Indigenous Peoples.

According to Huy’s latest formal comments: “it appears that the CDCR has yet to in any way consult with California tribal governments regarding the subject “emergency” regulations–-in per se violation of state law. Cal. Executive Order B-10-11 (Sept. 19, 2011) (“it is the policy of this Administration that every state agency and department subject to my executive control shall encourage communication and consultation with California Indian Tribes . . . to discuss state policies that may affect tribal communities.”).”

Pit River and Round Valley’s formal comments are here and here.