Native American Church v. Navajo Tribal Council
At a glance:
- Series: Racial and Ethnic Relations in America
- Categories: Religion, Ethics, Social Issues, Reform, and Protest, Law, Legal History, Courts
- Subcategories: Native Americans, American Indians, Court Cases, Rulings, Appeals, Supreme Court, U.S.
- Curriculum: American History 1951-present, American Indian History
- Geographical Location: United States
- Date: 1959
Article abstract: A U.S. Supreme Court decision finds that since Native American tribal governments predate the U.S. Constitution, they are not bound to uphold its guarantees.
In 1958, the Navajo Tribal Council, in an effort to limit activities of the Native American Church on its reservation, enacted an ordinance making it illegal to bring peyote onto the Navajo Reservation. Navajo members of the Native American Church filed a suit against the tribe in federal court charging the ordinance violated their First and Fourteenth Amendment rights. They claimed their...
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