County Fire Ban Impacts Native American Religious Ceremonies

In Gilpin County, Colorado, this summer's drought has created problems for Native Americans who wish to practice their traditional sweat lodge ceremony. Today's Rocky Mountain News says that officials have refused to exempt the ceremony-- which involves heating rocks with fire-- from the county's ban on open burning imposed to prevent wildfires. County Commissioner Al Price said that allowing ceremonial fires would open the floodgates for other people seeking a way around the ban. However Ray Rubio, a Southern Paiute, complains that the county did nothing to stop a Fourth of July fireworks show which he says was equally a fire danger. The county said it had no jurisdiction over the show in Black Hawk. Not all counties are as unyielding. Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said the county tries to accommodate those who want to use fire for religious ceremonies during the county-wide fire ban. "We don't have problems with sweat lodge fires starting fires, we have problems with knuckleheads drinking in the woods and having campfires," he said.