Final answer:
The Van der Peet case highlights that protected rights are those existent before contact with Europeans. They include common-law and natural rights inherited from laws, traditions, and past court decisions that are not necessarily enumerated in the Constitution but still protected.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Van der Peet case underlines that protected rights are those existent before contact with Europeans. These rights, also referred to as common-law and natural rights, are inherited from the laws, traditions, and past court decisions. They include rights like the right to marry, seek employment and education opportunities, and have children and raise a family, which are not necessarily enumerated in the Constitution but are still recognized and protected. Supreme Court justices have interpreted the Ninth Amendment differently, with some arguing that it extends the protected rights listed in the Constitution to natural and common-law rights, while others argue that it does not restrict states from modifying or limiting those rights through their constitutions and laws.