Religon in America past and present to Native Americans/History Facts
Since the earliest arrival of Europeans in North America, interactions between whites and Native Americans have been based largely on misunderstanding. The controversy over land ownership is the most obvious example of confusion between the United States government and the Native Americans, though it is only one of many. When the whites came with their treaties and requests for the Indians' land, the Native Americans had no way of understanding that process. They could not speak enough English to be able to understand the complicated language of the treaties presented to them. Even if they could speak some English, enough to be able to find out what the whites meant in the treaty, they still did not understand exactly what each treaty would do. The Native Americans believe that the land is their mother, and she cannot be sold nor owned. The white people thought that they had rightfully bought the Native Americans' land - the Indians, however, did not think that this was possible. The miscommunications led to many wars between the two groups, each side not fully understanding or accepting the opposing point of view.
The cultural identity of American Indians is rooted in their sacred beliefs, rituals, ceremonies, and all aspects of daily life. Native American religious practices have been under siege by the United States government for two centuries. The purpose of this page is to illustrate the intervention in Native American religious practices as well as forced Genocide on the part of the Goverment and other people.
HISTORY FACTS.......................
The practice of any Indian religion was made a crime in the 1920's by Indian Affairs Commissioner Charles H. Burke. April 26, 1921 brought a formal declaration of criminal persecution for any persons who practiced their family beliefs.
On February 24, 1923, a "Message to Indians" was issued against Native American family religions. "All such extreme things are wrong and should be put aside and forgotten. You do yourselves and your families great injustice when at dances you give away money or other property, perhaps clothing, a cow, a horse or a team and wagon, and then after an absence of several days go home to find everything going to waste and yourselves with less to work with than you had before."
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 Missionaries who entered Indian country were sent there to "civilize" the native people. They acquired this position by negotiation through treaty and were given vast amounts of land and guaranteed subsidies administered by the federal government out of tribal money.
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ANDREW JACKSON GENOCIDE BY WITHHOLDING SMALL POX VACCINES- In 1832 Congress appropriated $12,000 dollars to begin the fight against smallpox in Indian country. 20 years after they did the same for whites. Significantly, actual vaccination expenditures that first year "for smallpox and certain other things" amounted to only $1,786, as opposed to $5,721 for "missionary improvement" and $9,424 for the "civilization of the Indians." One year later, in 1833, actual expenditures were down to $721. (ed. Stuewe, Paul K., KANSAS REVISITED: HISTORICAL IMAGES AND PERSPECTIVES, article by Unrau, William, The Depopulation of the Kansas Indians") This is why most Native Americans today who are knowledgeable of their history are pointing out the United States Government  and or churches/misioneries waged genocide against their people. When medicine to heal children and families from a deadly and mortal disease is withheld,this crime against humanity is committing genocide.Indeed, Jefferson's writings on Indians are filled with the straightforward assertion that the natives are to be given a simple choice-to be extirpate(d) from the earth' or to remove themselves out of the American's way.' Had these same words been enunciate by a German leader in 1939 and directed at European Jews, they would be engraved in modern memory. ............................................................................................
"Civilizing" meant taking children away from their parents . . By this method through several generations Cherokee, like most Native Americans were stripped of the knowledge of their heritage, religious beliefs and trust of their family supports. This is the furnace of economic development that fueled America's so called growth until post civil war days and was not restricted just to the South. . Any people whose children are taken from them in order to destroy the religious, spiritual, racial and cultural heritage of that people are victims of genocide.
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Until 1934, the Sun Dance was outlawed by the United States government. "The last celebration of the original Sun Dance of the Standing Rock Sioux was given in 1882 and was broken up by United States troopers. Every effort by Indians to continue any form of native worship was persecuted vigorously from then on until the late 1920's, when restrictions were somewhat relaxed.Despite laws restricting Native American spiritual practices, the Plains Indians refused to completely abandon their religious beliefs. Many scholars and government officials think that the Sun Dance, "Lapsed for a time because of government disapproval.Many  Indians were forced to stop having Sun Dances because they could be jailed. Even though they could be persecuted, however, a few groups of Plains Indians kept the Sun Dance alive during the period of time (1882-1934) when it was banned.  Finally in 1934, the Sun Dance was legalized by the Wheeler-Howard Bill. After the Wheeler-Howard Bill was passed by Congress, more tribes began to revive the Sun Dance and other native ceremonies. During the 1960's and 1970's, there was a huge revival of Native American religion and identity. People became proud, instead of ashamed, of their Native American ancestors. The American Indian Movement (AIM) also helped increase Native American awareness. Until now, Native Americans could be persecuted for exercising their rights under the First Amendment. The First Amendment states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.This Amendment was violated. Many laws were made respecting an establishment of religion, and prohibiting the free exercise thereof.
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In 1924, all American Indians that were not already citizens of the United States automatically became citizens. Children were punished for praying Indian, men and women were jailed for taking a sweat bath. Sacred pipes were broken,medicine bundles burned or put in museums._________Four major policies were used to try to control the Native Americans: genocide (killing the Native Americans), encampment (forcing the Native Americans onto reservations), assimilation (making the Native Americans fit into white society), and termination (forcing the Native Americans to become regular citizens of the United States).. There were still no jobs on the reservations, so most turned to alcohol as an escape from daily hardships. The Native Americans who held to the old way of life were beaten, jailed, and persecuted.
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In conclusion, the apparent justification of the banning of Native American spiritual practices was a self-serving means to aid in taking over the North American continent. The legislation that was passed helped the whites to take the land without even considering the rights of the Native Americans. Sacred ceremonies were outlawed because they appeared to be strange and heathenistic(and are still being taught this is some churches).there was no respect for Native Americans and did not understand the meaning behind the ceremonies.
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sources http://google.com,The Conquest of the New World, Oxford Press 1992
http://nativeamericanrhymes.com/women/bravebird.htm
www.lectlaw.com/files/ind03.htm
www.mit.edu/~ell/writings/napaper.html
www.iwchildren.org/missionary.htm
The Bible, King James Version etext.lib.virginia.edu/kjv.browse.html
www.usc.edu/isd/archives/ethnicstudies/ indian_main.html
www.greatdreams.com/native.htm
www.usc.edu/isd/archives/ethnicstudies/ indian_main.html   FAIR USE NOTICE:
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