Sacred Site Storyboard (W3 A2)
Storyboard Text
- Devil's Tower is located in Northern Wyoming. It is native to the Lakota people. The Lakota people use the tower to pray, fast and perform ceremonies.
- At 1868, the Devil's Tower as well as it's region around it (Black Hill) was granted to the Lakota as a Treaty of Fort Laramie. This area or else known as the Great Sioux Reservation is closed off from outsiders.
- 1874, was when the gold rushers came into the land looking for gold. They walked into the Lakota Territory in search of potential gold.
- The government was aware about this and how it violated their treaty between the Lakota. But they won't do anything about it. To make things easier, let's ban religious practices on this land for now so the miners can focus on finding their gold.
- The government was in clear violation of the Establishment Clause since this has violated the Lakota 1st amendment in practicing religion. The land was granted to them and they are entitled to practice their own religion in exchange of gold.
- Many Native Americans in the reservation found it disturbing during their worship when hikers would just hike. Also the act of hiking around such sacred land was offensive
- This angered many hikers as they seek hiking at Devil's Tower as a spiritual relief. There is no harm to the Lakota when hikers hike there.
- This is an clear example of undue burden. With the ban of hiking during the month of June, it will limit the choices of hikers when hiking and they have to make arrangements around this ban.
- The National Park Service noted this issue and decided to ban hiking around the area during the month of June which was the month of most ceremonies and practices.
- This is unconstitutional and violates the hiker's 1st amendment. A hiker shall hike when he wants. A lawsuit was brought out with the National Park Service for violation of the first amendment.
- The lawsuit concluded with a decision that the ban was constitutional. The ban was not profiting anything and shall be granted to the Lakota during the month of June every year
- Until this day, hikers feel like this was an unfair decision ruled out by the government. One main reason is because the 1st Amendment is suppose to be exclusive to the citizens and Native Americans are not citizens.
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