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I think freedom of expression is an issue Native Americans continue to struggle with today. In May 2010, Aloysius Dreaming Bear was preparing to graduate from high school. Aloysius Dreaming Bear is a member of the Lakota nation of South Dakota. He was denied the right to wear traditional Lakota clothing at his high school graduation in May 2010 His traditional clothing included a plume and feather. The school made accommodations to include the plume, feather, and a Lakota prayer before the graduation exercises began. Aloysius was denied his First Amendment right because he was not permitted to wear traditional dress during the graduation ceremony (Huff, 2006). He was only allowed to do before the graduation ceremony began. The First Amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering with the right to peaceably assemble or prohibiting the petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution). Our country is assembled with a mix of diverse cultures. In the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights was included to provide Americans rights and protect them against infringement. I think his First Amendment Rights were violated because he was denied the right to wear traditional clothing during the ceremony. The United States proclaims to guarantee rights to individuals, yet denies Native Americans the right to express themselves through traditional cultural values. Our nation will continue to fear what is not the norm until we protect the rights guaranteed to every culture within our nation.
References Huff, Megan. (June 06, 2010). Current issues between Native Americans and the federal government. Retrieved December 8, 2011, at: http://www.helium.com/items/1852970-native-americans-and-the-us-federal-government
Wikipedia. (2011). First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Retrieved December 8, 2011, at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution