The idea that a bunch of well-meaning Boy Scouts are honoring Native traditions by performing imitation sacred dances is beyond offensive. Yet, for decades, the presentations of the Koshare Dancers of La Junta, Colo., have been not just accepted, but praised.

The Boy Scouts, every holiday season, perform the dances based on Hopi and Pueblo rituals at the Koshare Indian Museum (koshare refers to a sacred clown in some Pueblo traditions). The dancers have traveled to 47 states and three different countries, attended Pueblo ceremonies and even visited the White House. They believe — wrongly — that the Native community accepts their attempts at tribute.

What they don’t seem to understand is that these dances are more than tradition, they are sacred ceremony, and to perform them without being part of the community of their origin is sacrilege. Imagine the furor if a bunch of Boy Scouts wanted to understand Catholic tradition, and did so by re-creating the celebration of Mass and the consecration of the Eucharist, all while crowds of people watched.