Race and Religion: A Case Study on Indigenous Peoples in the United States

In this virtual presentation, part of the University of Colorado Law School's Race and the Law lecture series, Professor Kristen Carpenter explored the U.S. Supreme Court?s recent solicitude for religious freedom claims arising under the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Despite the current mood, however, the court is still sitting on precedents denying religious freedoms to American Indians. The key cases are 30 years old and their legacy is mixed at best. Indigenous peoples' religious freedoms remain uniquely vulnerable as evidenced by recent cases upholding government destruction of Indigenous peoples' religious sites. Professor Carpenter reviewed the legal history of governmental suppression of Indigenous peoples? religions in the U.S., and consider the potential for reform based on a human rights approach to religion as in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This installment of the Race and the Law series is presented in partnership with the Native American Law Students Association. The Race and the Law series is part of Dean Anaya's Anti-Racism and Representation Initiative. Announced in July, the yearlong initiative includes a broad range of actions and programs to confront racism and advance greater inclusion in legal education and the legal profession.

Event Details

Speakers	Professor Kristen Carpenter