About the book
For Native Americans, religious freedom has been an elusive goal. From nineteenth-century bans on indigenous ceremonial practices to twenty-first-century legal battles over sacred lands, peyote use, and hunting practices, the U.S. government has often acted as if Indian traditions were somehow not truly religious and therefore not eligible for the constitutional protections of the First Amendment. In this book, Tisa Wenger shows that cultural notions about what constitutes “religion” are crucial to public debates over religious freedom.
In the 1920s, Pueblo Indian leaders in New Mexico and a sympathetic coalition of non-Indian reformers successfully challenged government and missionary attempts to suppress Indian dances by convincing a skeptical public that these ceremonies counted as religion. This struggle for religious freedom forced the Pueblos to employ Euro-American notions of religion, a conceptual shift with complex consequences within Pueblo life. Long after the dance controversy, Wenger demonstrates, dominant concepts of religion and religious freedom have continued to marginalize indigenous traditions within the United States.
Editions of We Have a Religion
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780807832622
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780807859353
- EBook
- ISBN 9798890881311
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469605869
- EBook
- ISBN 9780807894217
Read an Excerpt
For Native Americans, religious freedom has been an elusive goal. From nineteenth-century bans on indigenous ceremonial practices to twenty-first-century legal battles over sacred lands, peyote use, and hunting practices, the U.S. government has often acted as if Indian traditions were somehow not truly religious and therefore not eligible for the constitutional protections of the First Amendment. In this book, Tisa Wenger shows that cultural notions about what constitutes “religion” are crucial to public debates over religious freedom.
In the 1920s, Pueblo Indian leaders in New Mexico and a sympathetic coalition of non-Indian reformers successfully challenged government and missionary attempts to suppress Indian dances by convincing a skeptical public that these ceremonies counted as religion. This struggle for religious freedom forced the Pueblos to employ Euro-American notions of religion, a conceptual shift with complex consequences within Pueblo life. Long after the dance controversy, Wenger demonstrates, dominant concepts of religion and religious freedom have continued to marginalize indigenous traditions within the United States.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is We Have a Religion about?
For Native Americans, religious freedom has been an elusive goal. From nineteenth-century bans on indigenous ceremonial practices to twenty-first-century legal battles over sacred lands, peyote use, and hunting practices, the U.S. government has often acted as if Indian traditions were somehow not truly religious and therefore not eligible for the constitutional protections of the First Amendment. In this book, Tisa Wenger shows that cultural notions about what constitutes “religion” are crucial to public debates over religious freedom.
In the 1920s, Pueblo Indian leaders in New Mexico and a sympathetic coalition of non-Indian reformers successfully challenged government and missionary attempts to suppress Indian dances by convincing a skeptical public that these ceremonies counted as religion. This struggle for religious freedom forced the Pueblos to employ Euro-American notions of religion, a conceptual shift with complex consequences within Pueblo life. Long after the dance controversy, Wenger demonstrates, dominant concepts of religion and religious freedom have continued to marginalize indigenous traditions within the United States.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in We Have a Religion?
Philosophy and Religion > Religion and beliefs
Where can I read a sample of We Have a Religion?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780807832622
How long is We Have a Religion and how many pages does it have?
We Have a Religion has 360 page(s)
Who is/are the Author/s of the book We Have a Religion?
Tisa Wenger
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
We Have a Religion is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780807832622) and paperback(ISBN 9780807859353) and ebook(ISBN 9798890881311) and ebook(ISBN 9781469605869) and ebook(ISBN 9780807894217)
Where can I buy We Have a Religion online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy We Have a Religion from below
Where can I buy We Have a Religion?