State Supreme Court Justices Visit Prison Indigenous Circle, Medicine Gardens

On May 21, 2025, Washington State Supreme Court Justices Raquel Montoya-Lewis (Isleta/Laguna) and Steven Gonzalez visited members of the Tribal Sons and their Indigenous medicine gardens at the Washington Corrections Center (WCC) in Shelton.

The Indigenous Circle at WCC known as the Tribal Sons, in collaboration with the Sustainability in Prisons Project, plant, cultivate, and harvest plants that Indigenous people consider medicine, in two plots of dirt set aside for Indigenous medicine gardens at WCC.

The gardens include sage, sweetgrass, mint, cedar, lavender, and rose, among other Indigenous plant medicines.

The Tribal Sons harvest the medicines for use during religious ceremonies, including sweat lodge and healing circles. Traditional Indigenous religious activities are proven to increase rehabilitation and good behavior and reduce recidivism.

The Justices spent time visiting with the Tribal Sons and supporters from Huy, Unkitawa, and the Evergreen State College, before touring the medicine gardens as well as a greenbelt set aside for Indigenous sweat lodge ceremony and other religious worship.

“It was a historic day. Two sitting Washington State Supreme Court Justices were able to witness the humanity, spirituality, and cultural prosperity of Indigenous people from within the state prison setting,” said Huy’s Gabe Galanda, who attended on May 21st. “Our state and our society desperately needs more such opportunities to realize our shared humanity and goodness.”

Photos of the Justices’ historic visit can be viewed on Huy’s Facebook page here.