Huy Presents to United States Institute of Peace

On August 8, 2024, the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) in Washington, D.C., held its first ever Roundtable on Indigenous Religious Freedom.  Huy’s pro bono counsel, Vince Redhouse of Hobbs Straus Dean and Walker, was invited to participate in this Roundtable and spoke on behalf of Huy, as well as on behalf of other Indigenous groups. 

There were sixteen total participants representing Indigenous peoples and groups from around the world, as well representatives from multiple federal governments, and academics and journalists. 

Vince began by introducing himself in the Diné (Navajo) language and calling attention to interconnectedness between many Indigenous languages and religions.  He then spoke on the United States government’s unique Nation-to-Nation relationship with Tribes, its foundations, and its application and meaning in today’s world. 

With regard to Huy, Vince presented Huy’s mission and its efforts to combat the religious rights violations faced by incarcerated Indigenous persons in the United States. 

He drew attention to the disparate treatment of incarcerated Indigenous persons seeking to practice their religions when compared to treatment of those with other religious practices, and how this disparate treatment violates the Federal government’s Nation-to-Nation relationship with Tribes, as well as the Federal and International rights owed to Indigenous persons and United States citizens. 

Vince further expressed the special importance that religion plays in rehabilitating incarcerated Indigenous persons and why their rehabilitation is so crucial to their families and Tribes. 

Other participants discussed the persecution of Indigenous peoples for engaging in their religious practices, their efforts to lobby governments to enforce the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and their efforts to have sacred sites protected.  There were also discussions on the proper role and scope of academics and journalists seeking to conduct research on Indigenous religious practices. 

The USIP indicated that it plans to hold more roundtable discussions on this important topic and that Huy and Vince would be invited again to participate.

Following the Roundtable, Vince met with representatives from the U.S. State Department to discuss Huy’s recent engagement efforts with the State Department, the United States Commission on Civil Rights, and the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.