Lyng v. Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Association (1987)
- Docket
- 86-1013
- Decided
- 1987-01-01
Summary
Question: Did the First Amendment's Free Exercise Clause prohibit the government from harvesting or developing the Chimney Rock area? Conclusion: No. In a 5-to-3 decision, the Court held that the Forest Service was free to harvest the lands. Though the government's actions would have severe adverse effects on the Indians' practice oftheir religion, those effects were only incidental and did not constitute an attempt to coerce Native Americans to act in violation of their beliefs. The Court reasoned that government could not operate "if it were required to satisfy every citizen's religious needs and desires," and that the First Amendment did not give any one group veto power over public programs that did not actually prohibit the free exercise of religion.