![]() It therefore concluded that the road should not be built. An Environmental Impact Statement concluded that the construction of the road would destroy the religion of three Native-American tribes (which required privacy for meditation and an unobstructed views of undisturbed nature). In that case, the Forest Service wanted to build a logging road through sacred lands in the Chimney Rock area of the Six Rivers National Forest. Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Association, the AIRFA statute came before the Supreme Court. It recognized that government policy had inhibited the practice of Native American religions, including access to sacred sites and use of sacred objects and materials. The cultural liberty of Indians is in all respects to be considered equal to that of any non-Indian group.” In 1978, Congress passed and President Jimmy Carter signed the American Indian Religious Freedom Act (AIRFA). 2970, which mandated that “o interference with Indian religious life or ceremonial expression will hereafter be tolerated. These policies would remain in effect until at least 1934, when new commissioner of Indian Affairs, John Collier, issued Circular No. Polygamous marriages were likewise outlawed, as was ritualized gift-giving and property destruction. ![]() Moreover, they could not use any “artifice or device” or the “arts of a conjuror” to encourage traditional Native-American cultural norms. Medicine men were not allowed to discourage children from attending agency schools. A second offence would result in withholding rations for up to 30 days, or incarceration for up to 30 days. Participation in such activities would lead to withholding of rations for 10 days. It established a Court of Indian Offences and outlawed “the sun-dance, the scalp-dance, and the war-dance,” and associated activities. In response, Price promulgated a set of rules that became known as the “Code of Indian Offences.” These outlawed many traditional Native-American religious practices. He also criticized the marriage customs among some Native Americans (such as polygamy), the absence of child support, and ritualized gift-giving and destruction of property. He claimed that they tried to keep people under their control and prevented Indian children from attending school. In it, he described traditional Indian dances as “heathenish” and expressed concern over the role of medicine men. Teller sent a letter to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs Hiram Price. In 1883, Secretary of the Interior Henry M. At the time, it was recognized that assimilation and Christianization faced obstacles in traditional religious and cultural practices, such as ritual dances and medicine men, or traditional spiritual leaders and healers. Despite the fact that the schools were run by the federal government, Christian education and conversion were part of the mission. It was felt that it would be easier to change or eliminate “Indianness” in the new generation if the children were separated from their parents’ influence. A key aspect of the process was restricting Native Americans to reservations and establishing Native-American boarding schools. Toward the end of the 19th century, the “War Policy” that had been ongoing against Native American tribes began to be accompanied by a “Peace Policy.” The goal of the Peace Policy was to eliminate Native Americans or “Indianness” through assimilation to a Eurocentric ideal. Instead of a particularized duality between sacred and nonsacred, in a sense, Native-American religions merely have sacred and more sacred. ![]() Finally, the natural and supernatural are not necessarily distinguished or as distinct as in Old World religions. Place, land, and nature are important, with some locations, including burial grounds, being held as sacred. Still, broadly speaking, it can be said many Native-American religions feature a creator as well as other deities. ![]() Thus, there was also a large diversity of belief systems. At the time of first contact with Europeans, there were on the order of 300 to 1,000 Native American languages. In the early days after first European contact, and throughout much of the colonial period, Native American religions were not recognized as such, or were deemed merely “heathenish.” One difficulty arises from a lack of understanding that there never has been just one Native-American religion. ” Application of the Free Exercise Clause and the Establishment Clause to Native-American religions, however, has been inconsistent. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution provides that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ….
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