Hoang-Ngan Dang
Lame Deer The United States to many people around the world is known for freedom and opportunities. But is that really what was going on when it comes to many groups of people here? After reading Lame Deer, it broaden my view on his life as an Indian living in the U.S. Things were not always easy for him and many Indians around him. Many rights were not given to them on their reservations. Lame Deer experienced many situation that were unfair, because the rights that they all have did not apply to Indians. To many the U.S. was supposed to be a land of freedom to soar and to practice their religion. I argue that Lame Deer experiences with his religion proved that there are no religious freedom, due to the fact that their two …show more content…
This practice too was banned from being practice. “For fifty long years they jailed us if we danced the sun dance, calling it a crime, an “Indian Offense.” (Lame Deer, 208). To Lame Deer the Sun Dance is a way of prayer and sacrifice. He thinks that the white man views this dance as a way into manhood, and showing his courage. The Sun Dance brings the three world together and it is only performed by medicine men and women. They danced and hoping to get a vision. The dance is not something to anyone, but it was not part of the white man tradition so it was not allowed. Many other religion have their own practices and are peaceful, but many were not being accepted.
The Sun Dance like many of other practices that belong to Indians were banned and marked as harmful. Lame Deer mentions that this dance was very important and you need to have a vision in order to have your prayer answers. This was their ritual every years but in a land of freedom religion this practice was wrongly interpreted and banned. The punishment for practicing this ritual is unfair and against the constitution. Outsiders think that there are religious freedom for everyone is the U.S. but little actually knows how falsely this concept is being