Sentencing of Sailor Angers American Indian Leaders

An American Indian sailor is serving a 35-day sentence in a Navy brig for leaving an aircraft carrier after superiors denied his request to attend a sacred religious ceremony.

The action against Airman Apprentice Steven A. Romero, 21, of Denver, Colo., has angered American Indian leaders, who say the Navy is insensitive to their religious practices.

“It would be like preventing an Islamic (person) from going to Mecca, a Jew to the Wailing Wall or a Catholic to Communion,” said Wayne Duchenaux, president of the National Congress of American Indians. “Once we find out the particulars, we’ll probably make a formal protest.”

Navy officials contend it would be impossible to exempt servicemen from duties every time a religious obligation comes up.

Romero, a Sioux, left the USS Carl Vinson in June while it was on a port call in Perth, Australia. He pleaded guilty to being absent without permission for 45 days and missing the ship’s June 18 departure.

The court proceeding was conducted at North Island Naval Air Station in San Diego, which is the headquarters for the helicopter unit to which Romero was assigned. He is being confined in the brig at the 32nd Street Naval Station.

When Romero turned himself in to Australian authorities July 30, he told them he had spent the time alone in the forest because he wasn’t able to attend a sun dance. The ceremony, which was performed in South Dakota during May and June, is sacred to Indians.

“I assume he was involved in some meditation,” said North Island spokesman Fred Wilson.

The Carl Vinson was in the Indian Ocean when Romero sought permission to attend the ceremony. He would have had to fly from the carrier to a port to catch a commercial flight, Wilson said.

It already was too late for Romero to attend the ceremony when he left the carrier without permission, Wilson added.

Romero, a helicopter mechanic who joined the Navy 18 months ago, had a clean service record and scored in the top 5% on the military aptitude tests given to all recruits.

Lt. Cmdr. Maynard Bowers, the military judge who presided over the case, denied Romero’s request for a bad-conduct discharge so he wouldn’t have to stay in the Navy.

Romero said he has been harassed by Navy authorities because of his religious views. He told Bowers about one incident in which, he said, security police at North Island entered and searched his room after smelling what they thought was marijuana.

It turned out to be sweet grass and sage that Romero was burning in accordance with Indian customs, Wilson said. A police report filed afterward said that Romero had not been advised of his rights, and that police had not obtained his permission before searching his room.

The sun dance is practiced by Plains Indians and generally is done four times during the lifetime of an Indian. It consists of a period of fasting, followed by purification in a sweat lodge.

The dance is conducted around a pole, and participants pray and are expected to experience personal visions.