Discussion:
Respond to the following paragraph. You can either agree or disagree with it.
In the 1920s many Native Americans faces discrimination and threats against their survival as tribes. During these years, the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs announced that policies will exist to restrict and limit their ceremonial dancing as well as the Pueblo's childrens participation in tribal initiation rites. On May 5, 1924, the Council of All the New Mexico Pueblos, including representatives from fourteen of the nineteen recognized Pueblo's in the state, met to shape a unified response. The council wanted to defend and explain how important these ritual dances were to their culture and to their practices. However, despite their fight the BIA insisted on suppressing their rights to ceremonial dances. Until, the council began to use the word "religion" instead of culture to their defense. They said, their religious liberty is threatened, and their dancing is important and sacred to them, more than anything else in their life. Because if this language used, and their decision to identify religion as their primary concern, this helped in their defense of Pueblo Life. To some, the concept of tradition suggests that it is "invented" and therefore inauthentic. Modernists reformers leapt to defend the Pueblos on moral, scientific, constitutional, and economic grounds. Pueblo leaders found religious freedom the most compatible with their own interests in combating allegations against their ceremonies, and therefore were able to succeed. After reading this article about the Pueblo Indian dance controversy, I feel like politics in the U.S. take religious rights very seriously. Although it is disappointing that they had to go through all of this in order to not lose their culture. I think the fact that it was their culture and something that was extremely important to them and their people should have been enough. However, once the word "religion" was used, things have changed. The U.S. took it very seriously, that these people felt their religion freedom was being denied. Once Pueblo leaders increased their use of the word religion in their language, their demand for religion echoed. While it took the pueblos quite a fight to get what is right, the laws pertaining to religious freedom and practice were abided by. I think the federal governments attempt to ban Pueblo Indian ceremonial practices were unfair and stupid. I do not think any culture should ever have to endure this, and their traditions should have been respected. I am happy they are still able to practice something that is so important to them.