A founding member of a Native inmate group in the Nebraska State Penitentiary says non-Natives are welcome to participate in powwows and other ceremonies but draws the line at who is in charge.

"Our club since 1974 has always been open to the general population," Richard T. Walker, 58, a member of the Winnebago Tribe, told The Lincoln Journal Star. "The only thing we ask is that Natives run it.

Walker and other Natives are seeking to change the bylaws of their group in order to prevent non-Natives from voting or holding leadership positions. But the idea is running into opposition from prison officials, like warden Mike Kenney, who says "voting based solely on race is the practice of racism."

Walker and other inmates recently signed a settlement to protect their rights but says the group is considering another lawsuit to raise the membership issue.

Get the Story:
Racial identity an issue at state pen (The Lincoln Journal Star 5/2)

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Indian inmates in Nebraska settle lawsuit (11/12)