ABSTRACT
The history of Indian militancy reflects the frustration Native American people have experienced in having their needs addressed, and Indians have periodically had to resort to drastic measures to bring national attention to a crisis situation. In the area of Native American incarceration, approaches to relief involve a clear set of objectives that must be embraced by all participants before any measurable effects can be achieved. Ongoing battles between correctional authorities and Indian prisoners seem to indicate that the authorities comply with Native American requests only when forced to do so by the courts. An informed, ongoing consultative relationship between Native American inmates and the prison administrations could result in positive planning and produce negotiations that clarify policy and privileges. Recovery and rehabilitation are clearly not services that prisons can offer to Native Americans without the help of those trained specifically in Native-oriented treatment. This is not an attitude that correctional authorities share.
