A ban on open fires in Gilpin County, Colorado, has tribal members upset that they can't hold their sacred ceremonies.

Bobbie Gleason, a Northern Cree woman, was denied a permit for a sweat lodge she holds every year. Ray Rubio, a member of the Southern Paiute Tribe, was also denied a permit and says the county shows "disdain and scorn" for Native religious rights.

Commissioner Al Price said the ban is necessary due to safety concerns. "You allow them to do this and you're going to have to allow campfires and voodoo ceremonies. Where do you stop?" he told The Denver Rocky Mountain News.

Robert Cross, a Lakota Sioux man, has been dealing with those kind of attitudes for years. On New Year's Eve of 2004, police raided his sweat lodge in an incident that drew media attention. He has sine moved his ceremonies to a secluded area of federal land.

Get the Story:
Bans douse Indian fire ceremonies (The Denver Rocky Mountain News 7/5)

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