Also from the National Post today:

Native detainees at the Regina Correctional Centre say their religious rights have been violated because they've been denied access to their cultural practices. In the 17 months since he has been in custody, Ryan Sayer says he has not been allowed to burn sweetgrass or attend sweat ceremonies. "All of that stuff has been taken away from us," said Sayer, 26. "I've been denied lights for my sweetgrass, sweats, and all of these things help me in my troubles ... The way I see it, my spiritual rights are like me reading the Bible, and it's been tampered with on numerous times." Sayer added correctional officers have made fun of items of significance to him, such as an eagle feather he keeps in his cell. Julien Hulet, the centre's acting director, said the complaints are under investigation by the province's human rights commission.

These people are in prison. Obviously they did something bad, and have therefore had some of their previous freedoms limited. They are in jail. And while Canadian prisons do their best to allow religious freedoms (Muslims get prayer mats, Christians get Bibles, etc), they wouldn't very well allow anyone to set fire to something that smells like pot. Believe me, sage & sweetgrass smudgesticks smell like weed. A riot would break out! I agree that the wardens and guards shouldn't be poking fun at the guy's feather, but if they want to draw the line at smudging, or even drumming because it might be disruptive, then they have the right to do that. If this man wanted the freedom to openly take part in his religion, he shouldn't have broken the law. Then he wouldn't be incarcerated in the first place.