The American Indian Religious Rights (AIRR) Foundation (Executive Chart)
is a non-profit organization working to represent American Indian
prisoners. Our objective is to build a public foundation of support to secure and protect the religious rights
and spiritual needs of incarcerated Native Americans.
The AIRR Foundation's assistance includes making formal
inquiry into the religious treatment accorded to Native American prisoners,
by contacting prison, state, and federal officials for the purpose of taking
corrective action to remedy what problems may exist in this area.
Religious freedom is a fundamental right of all,
including American Indians, yet the struggle to preserve and protect
this religion has always been a difficult one. More so where incarcerated
Native Americans are concerned, who tend to be given second rate acknowledgement
by prison officials over more mainstream faiths.
We urge you to join us in this struggle and in
doing so help us achieve our goal in breaking the chain of religious oppression.
AIRR is working to ensure that prison systems within the
United States recognize and implement the following areas of religious concern
to their policies:
Construction of and access to a sweat lodge for proper purification ceremonies on a weekly basis
Private consultation with a Medicine Man/Spiritual Advisor on a level accorded to religious personnel for other faith groups
To possess and carry a medicine pouch
Access to a prayer pipe for private and/or group prayer
That prayer pipe ceremonies be conducted outdoors
To possess eagle (and other) feathers
An exemption to grooming codes allowing Native Americans to keep or grow long hair
Access to possess and use ceremonial herbs such as sage, cedar,
sweetgrass and tobacco or kinnikinnik (a blend of tobacco, barks,
and roots)
Also, that prison systems:
Establish a plan for the training and education of employees in American Indian religious beliefs and practices
Record proper race identification of American Indians
Recognize Native American religion as a valid form of therapy and rehabilitation.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Due to administrative difficulties involving resources and lack of funding,
AIRR has temporarily ceased operations.
AIRR does plan to restructure operations sometime in the future,
at which time the organization may be of help to incarcerated Native Americans, who face religious rights injustice.
Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused.
Contact AIRR
United States Office
Brenda R Chitwood
11363 South Highway 171
Covington, Texas 76636
AIRR was created in 1999 as a nonprofit for the distinct purpose of building
a public foundation of support to secure and protect the religious rights
and spiritual needs of incarcerated American Indians.
Prior to the creation of AIRR there did not exist one base of support that
focused primarily on the situation of imprisoned American Indians. At best,
organizations that did exist, and continue to, were more concerned with the
problems encountered by tribes in the area, of, for example, land and water
rights disputes with the federal government, tribal recognition claims, and
so on. Basically, areas of concern that affected tribal soverignty.
As such, the need for an organization like AIRR became a necessity, based
on the principle that, with an ever increasing rate of incarceration among
people from "Indian Country", these individuals were essentially being cut
off fom the benefits of tribal association. An association that, by inherent
disposition, evolved and centered upon culture and tradition which, among
Indian people is, for the most part, consistent with a tribe's religious
beliefs and practices.
It was, with this concern in mind, that AIRR came into being. Not only for
the purpose of ensuring that imprisoned Native Americans were being granted
access to practice their religious beliefs within the prison setting, but
able to retain a sense of communication and kinship with their tribe. In
addition, to help build a stronger sense of responsibility and service for
returning to their community as productive law-abiding citizens.
AIRR understands the problems many incarcerated Native Americans face in
wanting to pratice their religious beliefs, as they struggle to have prison
officials accept and acknowledge the moral and principled characteristics
that a Native American is in position to achieve in being permitted to follow
the religious rites and practices of one's tribe. In essence, it is, about
becoming a better person. For self. For family. For community.
Hence, it is AIRR's objective to assist those Native Americans who, unfortunately,
find themselves imprisoned in penal institutions where, in general, prison
officials hinder, obstruct, and resist the Native American faith as a legitimate
rehabilitative tool.
Because AIRR focuses solely on the religious plight of incarcerated Native
Americans, we are able to expend what resources are made available to us
for the rehabilitative benefit of such individuals, to uphold religious freedom
under the U.S. Constitution, while building and strenghthening the Indian
Communauty as a whole.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
AIRR's staff welcomes volunteers who can give of their time and effort to help American Indian prisoners.
Your help can work toward returning these individuals to the
Native American community in a more positive, beneficial, and substantive
role, toward becoming law-abiding, productive citizens.
AIRR's work in this area of human rights to a disadvantaged population of American Indians promotes systematic change by:
(1) addressing religious inequality,
(2) promoting the Native American faith as a rehabilitative tool,
(3) educating and instructing agencies, persons, organizations,
and government bodies to the social benefits of Native American life, and
(4) advancing and implementing Native American culture, tradition,
and heritage to build a base of economic, environmental, political, and social
justice.
If you would like to help AIRR in this endeavor, help to make
a change in promoting diversity and addressing inequality, oppression, and
discrimination to society as a whole, please contact us for further information.
