Young Indian Decides To Stick With Banishment

An Indian youth apparently has changed his mind about ending his experiment in tribal banishment, saying he wants to remain in exile rather than go to prison for the mugging of a pizza delivery man.

Adrian Guthrie, one of two Tlingit Indian teenagers banished to Alaska’s wilderness, told tribal judges Tuesday that he had had enough of exile and wanted to return to Washington state for prison sentencing by a Snohomish County Superior Court judge.

Guthrie now has asked a faction of the feuding tribal court to let him finish the last six months of the 18-month banishment, tribal judge Embert James said Wednesday.

Guthrie and Simon Roberts, both 18, were sent into exile in September 1994 in a unique experiment in cross-cultural justice. Critics said the banishment is not working because the youths have been coming into town and staying in relatives’ homes.

Roberts told tribal judges Tuesday he wants to continue the banishment.

James said Guthrie was willing to complete the sentence if his banishment is supervised by James and his brother Rudy James.

Rudy James was instrumental in persuading Snohomish County Superior Court Judge James Allendoerfer to let tribal leaders handle the two youths’ punishment, pending official sentencing.