Religious Intolerance

Legacy of Destructive Policies

-The foundation of United States land rights is rooted in the fact that Indigenous inhabitants were "heathens" upon Europeans' arrival to this continent.

-"For most of the United States' history, the federal government has actively discouraged and even outlawed the exercise of traditional Indian religions."

-From 1819-1934, the government provided direct and indirect support to Christian missionaries to "convert" and "civilize" Indigenous Peoples.

-These "civilization" policies included mandatory attendance of all Indigenous children at Christian boarding schools from 1879-1936. Federal laws allowed officers to kidnap children whose families would not voluntarily send them.

-Indigenous religious ceremonies were officially outlawed by the federal government in 1890. Federal statutes, regulations, and enforcement policies continued to infringe upon native religious liberties until the late 1970s.

Persistence of Discriminatory Effects

-As traditional Indigenous religions are land-based, access to sacred sites (i.e. specific land formations and geographical locations) is a basic and essential component of worship. One researcher estimates that 75% of all sites sacred to Indigenous religions are on public lands.

-This presents serious obstacles for Indigenous Peoples to exercise their religions because public land use management (i.e. tourism, recreation, mining, logging, dam construction) often conflicts with Indigenous People's access to sacred areas.

-The Supreme Court upholds that the government has the right to do whatever it wants with public lands regardless of the impact on Indigenous Peoples' religious practices. There are no enforceable safeguards for worship at sacred sites.

-Hundreds of sacred sites have been desecrated and many more continue to be threatened. Where sacred areas remain in tact, Indigenous Peoples are often denied access to such areas or are required to obtain/pay for permits from public officials.

-Ceremonial instruments and objects are often wrongfully confiscated by officials (i.e. police, border patrol). People carrying such items can be subject to harassment, arrest and prosecution.

-Indigenous prisoners (some 7,000) in the state and federal prison system are often forced to cut their hair. This act is comparable to castration. Some Indigenous school children are also coerced to cut their hair to attend non-Indigenous schools.

-Indigenous remains and burial sites have been and continue to be desecrated on behalf of science.

-Indigenous religious ceremonies on private, public and Indigenous lands, are often interrupted and stopped by officials on the grounds of noise pollution.

 

Sources and Further Reading:

Encyclopedia of North American Indians: Religious Rights

United Nations Special Rapporteur Report: Religious Intolerance in the United States-Situation of Native Americans

Sacred Land Film Project>Understanding Sacred Lands

Jack F. Trope>Protecting Native American Religious Freedom: The Legal, Historical, and Constitutional Basis for the Proposed Native American Free Exercise of Religion Act

Honor the Earth>Sacred Site Protection

Association on American Indian Affairs>Sacred Places Program