Native American Religion

Native American Religion

Read the article, Indian Prisoners Claim Spiritual Needs Ignored. Then, respond to the following questions:

Should Native Americans be able to perform their ceremonies in prison?

Do prisoners give up all rights when they enter prison? Does this include the right to practice their religion? Does this apply to all prisoners, or just to Native Americans?

Give another example of what might be religious discrimination in our own country.

This article was written in 1993, so I looked into the Native American Free Exercise of Religion Act of 1993 that was talked about in the article, it was passed in 1994. At the bottom of this post is a copy of what the outcome was in the bill.

Regardless of what religion anyone is a part of, they should be allowed to practice it while in prison. One might step foot behind bars and lose everything else they have in life, but their religion should always be with them. Even though their actions were wrong and that’s what got them in trouble in the first place, their religious act could help them be better. I think if Native Americans find themselves in prison, and would like to perform their own ceremonies and needs, then the prison should accommodate them under supervision. I am not a religious person myself, I do believe in God, the power of prayers, but do not practice one specific religion. With that being said, if I were to be in a cell somewhere, I would be talking to the big guy upstairs a lot more because who else do I have?

When I read to give another example of religious discrimination, my first thought was the big argument over the mosque that was being built near Ground Zero. After 9/11 everyone was so drawn to hate the Islamic religion because the media kept the anger going by focusing everything on that day, as well as we all know where we were, what we were doing etc on that September day. When the mosque was first proposed, it was slammed, legal battles, everyone in an uproar. Of course we were angry, still are! It has been built though, because it is freedom of religion.

Native American Free Exercise of Religion Act of 1993 - Retrieved from the Library of Congress

Title I: Protection of Sacred