https://religionsmn.carleton.edu/files/original/f90f9ea8c872e937662f0e17e4f96dd5.pdf ac0ebf4a6dc19aa963b107dcac7f68c1 PDF Text Text PUBLIC LAW 95-341--AUG. 11, 1978 92 STAT. 469 Public Law 95-341 95th Congress Joint Resolution Aug. 11, 1978 [S.J. Res. 102] American Indian Religious Freedom Whereas the freedom of religion for all p eople is an in herent right, fundamental to the democratic structure of the United S tates and is guaranteed by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution; Whereas the United States has traditionally rejected the concept of a government denying individuals the right to practice their religion and, as a result, has benefited from a rich variety of religious heritages in this country; Whereas the religious practices of the American Indian (as well as Native Alaskan and Hawaiian) are an integral part of their culture, tradition and heritage, such practices forming the basis of Indian identity and value systems: Whereas the traditional American Indian religions, as an integral part of Indian life, are indispensable and irreplaceable; Whereas the lack of a clear, comprehensive. and consistent Federal policy has often resulted in the abridgment of religious freedom for traditional Am erican India ns; Whereas such religious infringements result from the lack of knowledge or the insensitive and inflexible enforcement, of Federal policies and regulations premised on a variety of laws; Whereas such laws were designed for such worthwhile purposes as conservation and preservation of natural species and resources but were never intended to relate to Indian religious practices and, therefore, were passed without consideration of their effect on traditional Am erican India n religions; Whereas such laws and policies often deny American Indians acc ess to sacred sites required in their religions, including cemeteries; Whereas such laws at times prohibit the use and possession of sacred objects necessary to the exercise of religious rites and ceremonies; Whereas traditional Am erican India n ceremo nies have b een intruded upon, interfered with, and in a few instances banned: Now, therefore, be it �Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That henceforth it shall be the policy of the United States to pro tect and pre serve for A merican In dians their inherent right of freedom to believe, express, and exercise the traditional religions of the American Indian, Eskimo, Aleut, and Native Hawaiians, including b ut not limited to access to sites, use and possession of sacred objects, and the freedom to worship through ceremonials and traditional rites. Sec. 2. The Pre sident shall dire ct the variou s Federal d epartments, agencies, and other instrumentalities responsible for administering relevant laws to evaluate their policies and procedures in consultation with native traditional religious leaders in order to determine appropriate changes necessary to protect and preserve Native American religious cultural rights an d practic es. Twelve months after approval report of this resolution, the President shall report back to the Congress the results of his evaluation, including any changes which were made in administrative policies and procedures, and any recommendations he may have for legislative action. Approved August 11, 1978. L E G I S L A T IV E H I S T O R Y: HO USE REP ORT No. 95 -1308 a ccom panying H.J. Res. 73 8 (Com m. on In terior and I nsula r Affa irs). SEN AT E RE PO RT N o. 95 -709 (Com m. o n Ind ian A ffairs). CON GRE SSIO NA L RE COR D, Vo l. 124 (197 8): Apr. 3, considered and passed Senate. July 18, H.J. Res. 738 considered and passed House; proceedings vacated and S.J. Res. 102, amended, passed in lieu. July 2 7, Se nate c oncu rred in Hou se am endm ent. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context AIRFA.pdf Title A name given to the resource American Indian Religious Freedom Act Description An account of the resource The American Indian Religious Freedom Act guarantees Native American people the right to, "believe, express, and exercise the traditional religions of the American Indian, Eskimo, Aleut, and Native Hawaiians, including but not limited to access to sites, use and possession of sacred objects, and the freedom to worship through ceremonials and traditional rites." Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource 95th Congress of the United States Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Bureau of Land Management Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 8/11/78 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Public Domain Type The nature or genre of the resource Document Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource .pdf Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant United States American Indian Religious Freedom Act