Spiritual program funding is axed

By Pamela G. Dempsey
Diné Bureau

WINDOW ROCK — One of the few programs catering spiritually to Native American inmates has had its keys taken away by the Navajo Nation Department of Behavior Health Services.

Lenny Foster, director of the Navajo Nation Corrections Project, told the Health and Social Services Committee on Friday that his program's travel requests have been denied.

The program brings traditional spiritual counseling to Navajo tribal members, as well as other Native Americans, incarcerated nationwide. Since 1980, The Corrections Project has built and conducted sweat lodges, talking circles, pipe ceremonies, spiritual gatherings, and counseling to more than 2,000 Navajo and other Native American inmates in 96 correctional facilities.

Advocating for equal access to traditional religious practices has also been a focus of the program and Foster has testified to both U.S. Congress and the United States Commission on Civil Rights on the denial of those practices to Native American inmates.

"It's the only tribally funded program in the U.S.," Foster said. "It's one innovative approach to working with our own people."

The Corrections Program received a grant from Harvard University to produce a video about the program. Legislation is currently pending in Arizona to amend laws and allow more traditional religious freedom in its prisons.

Since October, services to more than 330 inmates in Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico have been requested, mostly by families of the inmates.

"The visits are necessary for our people's well being," Foster said. "We want to do this without difficulty. In the meantime, our relatives are sitting inside these facilities."

The average age of an incarcerated Native American is 23 and the average length of stay is six years. Foster also said 90 percent of the crimes committed are alcohol-related.

Because the program's travel requests have been denied, Foster said, cancellation of these visits ruins the trust established between the program and the inmates it serves as well as credibility with the warden.

"The inmates lose hope, they lose faith," Foster said. "It causes a lot of animosity. Our people's sobriety and respect is important."

Madan Pudel, health system administrator for the Division of Health, said other issues are preventing The Corrections Program to travel off-reservation.

"It's not a matter of denying," Pudel said.

Instead, Pudel said, Herman Largo, director of the Department of Behavioral Health has requested a plan and a list of priorities from the program.

"He has not received the priorities," Pudel said.

Pudel also said that Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. restricted off-reservation travel by executive order.

"We're trying to work with the president on the interpretation of the executive order," Pudel told the committee. "So we have to send everything to the president."

In December, Shirley signed an executive order to reinforce his "Buy Navajo" campaign.

According to the release, the order prohibits Navajo Nation Executive Branch department and program employees from "traveling off the Nation to attend meetings and trainings unless it is required for programmatic purposes or is considered in the best interest of the Navajo Nation."

Foster said he and his staff of three were working on the program's priorities, but did not understand why, after 10 years, they were denied travel requests.

"This particular program needs to be exempt from that," said Jerry Freddie, chairman of the committee, of Shirley's executive order.