Yakama Nation Chairman JoDe Goudy has been denied access to a U.S. Supreme Court hearing Tuesday for wearing a traditional headdress.

A Yakama Nation news release stated Goudy was denied entry to the hearing of the Washington State Dept. of Licensing vs. Cougar Den, Inc. case, unless he removed the headdress.

The case concerns the Yakama Nation's right to avoid state taxes on off-reservation commercial activities that make use of public highways, under the Yakama Treaty of 1855.

The hearing stems from a state Department of Licensing lawsuit in 2013 against the Cougar Den, a gas station in White Swan. The department has claimed Kip Ramsey, who owns the store, brought out-of-state fuel onto the reservation without paying the state's fuel tax.

A live video posted to Goudy's Facebook page Tuesday shows Goudy talking to one of the security guards outside the hearing.

Tribal members said that in the video, the guard explains why the chairman cannot wear the headdress to the hearing, saying the court cannot be subject to outside influence.

Goudy's Facebook post reads, "Denied access to view the Yakama Nation Supreme Court case .... it’s a beautiful day my relatives ... keep a prayer in your hearts for all of our Nations, Lands, Waters, Peoples, and Relations ... Atauwishamush".

Instead of removing his headdress, Goudy peacefully left the courtroom and went outside to pray, according to the news release.


Responses to "Yakama Nation chairman denied entry to U.S. Supreme Court hearing due to his Traditional Regalia"

  1. Wogzz says:

    The court cannot be subject to outside influence but it's a systemically biased system built to favor the white people

  2. Unknown says:

    The white people are not white, if they were, they would be Albinos, and Albinos a
    are Sacred Beings, these people are actually Pink, Grey, Orange and Pale skinned ,
    who is neither white nor sacred. Theses Pink and Grey and Orange and Pale skinned
    People are very frightened and fear the Anishinaabe and they should. Like all
    Life, they too will enter the Spirit Realm where they all will be faced with unimaginable
    Horrors and suffer extreme endless pain. No ones but their own. They all created
    Their own hell and I will make sure they all
    Experience what they all Created themselves

    I am Zaghgidiwin Sakehewawin
    I am Anishinaabe
    I am The ONE
    And I am Here

  3. Why, Muslim women get to wear that hood. Jewish men wear that hat. He's a tribal representative. He's not a white guy wearing makeup and dress. I guess he has to be Bruce Jenner dressing up to get any respect. Racism live a well.

  4. If one needs evidence of the moral decay of the US nation, here is yet another piece. It also, of course, is evidence of the existing systemic racism in the criminal justice systems of both the US and Canada, toward Indigenous peoples. Shame on both countries. As a Canadian White Settler person, this is not how I wish things to be, and will continue to work toward change in my homeland and pray for change in the land to the south.

  5. Unknown says:

    What outrageous racism.

  6. t ortiz says:

    It was a security guard doing his job. No hats are allowed. He was asked to remove his headdress, respect any rules, like he'd want respect in tribal chambers or how we respect longhouse protocol. All this for a tax fight that only benefits a few families, just like his cigarette tax fight.

  7. Sybil says:

    That would mean religious Jews would be required to remove their yarmulkes, that Sikhs and Hindus would need to remove their headwear.
    This is an insult.

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