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Issues for Native Peoples

  • Sacred Lands and Treaty Rights: The Black Hills

    Sacred Lands and Treaty Rights: The Black HillsNearly every Native American nation is engaged in a struggle to preserve sacred lands, due in part to the Native place- and space-based understanding of sacredness, which is at odds with American legal frameworks. Native American rights are often considered a secondary concern, and even when protections have been granted, the United States government and its citizens have often violated the agreements and protections for material reasons.... Read more about Sacred Lands and Treaty Rights: The Black Hills

  • Repatriation of Human Remains

    Repatriation of Human RemainsIn 1990, after centuries of struggle to protect the integrity of the dead and material items of religious and cultural significance, Native communities witnessed the creation of an important process for protection: the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). However, the application of the act has been difficult, as it raises questions regarding Native American sacrality and requires a willingness to expend resources and negotiate between many parties.... Read more about Repatriation of Human Remains

  • Religious Freedom for Native Americans

    Religious Freedom for Native AmericansThe constitutionally guaranteed free exercise of religion for Native Americans has been violated throughout the history of the United States. Violent repression of native practices, the withholding of resources from Native communities, and the devaluing of religious frameworks and practices that do not align with Protestant normativity have been and continue to be major obstacles in Native Americans realizing religious freedom in the United States. This issue has been taken up many times in the U.S. judicial system.... Read more about Religious Freedom for Native Americans

  • Identity and Tribal Recognition: The Mashpee Community

    Identity and Tribal RecognitionMany Native communities who chose not to enroll for recognition during the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 are still unrecognized by the U.S. government. Without federal recognition, these Native communities’ treaties and lands are unprotected, and they do not have access to Indian health and welfare programs. Some efforts to recognize such communities, such as the Mashpee Wampanoag, have succeeded in recent years.... Read more about Identity and Tribal Recognition: The Mashpee Community