Yellowbear was being denied use of a prison sweat lodge constructed for American Indian inmates wishing to practice their religion. The inmate was in special protective housing because of threats from other prisoners. The sweat lodge was in the prison yard used by the general population. Even a prisoner, stripped of most rights still has a right to worship, the judge ruled. Yellowbear argued that the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act assured him access to the sweat lodge. That act, rooted in the First Amendment right to freedom of religion, needed to be upheld.

Gorsuch called the Yellowbear case one of his 10 most significant rulings. Decisions important to tribes cited Wednesday included a Gorsuch ruling favoring the members of the Uintah and Ouray reservations who were being prosecuted in Utah by non-tribal courts alleging crimes committed on reservation land.

National Congress of American Indian members were joined by Western state lawmakers, including U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont.

“I was really proud that we were at the White House and we had a Montana tribe there, who shared some comments about their support,” Daines said.