And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
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Date: Mon, 18 Jan 1999 18:07:49 -0500
From: LISN <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
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Subject: Spiritual Advisor's Sacred Pipe Confiscated by Oklahoma State Prison
Guards
Spiritual Advisor's Sacred Pipe Confiscated
by Oklahoma State Prison Guards
at Lexington Correctional Center
Urgent Action Requested:
Contact Lexington Prison Warden
Information Listed Below
For Immediate Release: This information comes from Ben Carnes, a Native
American Spiritual Advisor, who heads the Native American Spiritual Program
efforts for prisoners in the State of Oklahoma.
Gary Colbert, a Sundancer and a Native American Prisoners' Spiritual
Advisor in the state of Oklahoma, had his sacred pipe bowl confiscated by
prison guards when entering the Lexington Correctional Center on Saturday,
January 16, 1999. Before allowing Colbert to meet with Native American
inmates for a traditional pipe ceremony, prison guards put Colbert through
a measure of harassment and a disrespectful search of his sacred bundle,
which included his sacred pipe bowl and stem. At least two of the guards
were women, bringing into immediate question the appropriateness of their
proximity to the pipe. Their questionable presence and the disrespectful
handling of the pipe bowl amounts to desecration of the sacred object.
Standing nearby during the rough handling of the objects in Colbert's
sacred bundle was Chaplain Baker of the correctional facility, who was in
support of Colbert's presence to lead traditional ceremonies with Native
American prisoners, and well aware of the benefits these ceremonies bring
to the inmates. Against Baker's strong objection to the guards'
mistreatment of the sacred bundle and its contents, which the guards
ignored, Colbert's sacred pipe bowl was finally confiscated for the purpose
of sending to a lab to be tested for marijuana residue. This decision was
agreed upon among the guards because, according to them, they could smell
marijuana...and therefore (allegedly), they were certain that it was used
for smoking marijuana.
The pipe bowl was confiscated until Tuesday, at which time the guards
stated that the pipe bowl would be returned to Colbert, or he would be
arrested. It is for this reason that a request is going out to as many
people as possible to contact Steve Hargett, Warden of the Lexington
Correctional Center, as soon as possible to protest the desecration of a
sacred pipe. Gary Colbert & Ben Carnes are scheduled to meet with prison
officials on Tuesday.
Unfortunately, too many prison officials and guards do not understand
Native American traditional ceremonies and therefore, disregard the value
of the ceremonies altogether. Neither are they aware that when they "smell
marijuana," that, in fact, they are actually smelling traditional Indian
tobacco, as well as sage (which is packed on top of the tobacco in
preparation for the pipe ceremony).
Furthermore, the ability to conduct Native American spiritual
ceremonies in prisons all over the U.S. is not accorded any of the respect
that mainstream religions and their ministers receive. For example, it is
unlikely that a Catholic Priest would have his bag of ceremonial and sacred
objects (sacred bundle?) subjected to a rough and disrespectful search.
Nor would the receptacle holding the consecrated Eucharist be mishandled,
or a chalice be confiscated and sent to a lab to be tested for wine
residue. It is also unlikely that the containers holding sacred oils or
incense for the Sacrament of the Sick would be confiscated from a priest
for a lab test because the containers "smell strange." Similar examples
can be cited for Rabbis, as well as a multitude of Ministers of other
mainstream religions. Native American spiritual advisors for prisoners,
their ceremonies, sacred bundles and objects simply do not receive the same
respect as mainstream religions. Prison officials will have to become much
more informed about Native American traditions and ceremonies before they
become viewed as a valid religion and the life-giving spiritual paths that
they are.
Please contact Warden Steve Hargett as soon as possible:
Telephone: (405) 527-5676
Fax: (405) 527-4101
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
For information updates regarding this situation, please contact
"[EMAIL PROTECTED]" or check the LISN web site at http://www.lisn.net
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