All of the Earth is sacred, according to the oldest teachings. The basis of the belief is that this real world contains the miracle of life. Just being alive in the world is a source of connection. "Where is your belly cord buried?" some elders would ask, meaning, "where do you belong?"

Then there are the special places -- places of power, of recurring history, of reflection, vision quest, prayer, ceremony and connection. Every tribe has them, every Native nation. They are in the collective memory, these natural altars where the Great Spirit, and the spirits of nature, become available to the human beings. As Keetoowah elder Sam Beeler, has expressed, "Many faiths worship the Creator, but totally disrespect the Creation. We respect the Creation, because if you have a direct relation to the Creation, you have a direct connection with the Creator."

For the Keetoowah, the most sacred place is a "Mother Mound" near Bryson City, North Carolina. For many Plains tribes, the Valley of the Chiefs, in Montana, is a sacred place, as are, of course, the many special places in the Black Hills. For the Apache, the issue is Dzil Nchaa Si A (Mount Graham) in central Arizona. On this holy mountain, a seven-telescope observatory is being built. The San Carlos and other Apache are against it. For the Zuni, the issue is the sacred Zuni Salt Lake, where lives the sacred deity Ma’l Oyattsik’i, or Salt Woman. It is a place of puberty ceremonies for young boys, while the Navajo Salt Clan considers the area "mother." But an Arizona utility company plans a large coal mine, one that would drain the sacred lake. The Zuni are contesting the plan. For the Quechan of Arizona, it is the Quechan Indian Pass, now threatened by a proposed open-pit gold mine. President Clinton had decided to protect Quechan Pass, but the incoming Bush administration reversed the decision.

Protection of sacred lands is a major issue for indigenous peoples, indeed, perhaps for all people. People who come from and identify with particular natural formations nurture their long-term altars and prayer places. These belief systems of traditional American Indians are still alien to mainstream American life. The concept of "pagan" or "nature worshipers" is still used by some to castigate Indians for these beliefs. Most recently, however, Mormon elders are clamoring for the federal government to turn over to the Mormon Church a special place in their history, Martin’s Cove, Wyoming, where many of their faith died during their migration west. But most sacred and ceremonial places are related to Native ceremonial cycles and teachings that continue to be practiced and represent philosophies of long standing among human beings.

A recent push by Native leaders and scholars to strengthen legal protections of the sacred places of Native America has generated some understanding and we commend it heartily. Congressional bills are being formulated and fielded. Tribes with cases of sacred lands being trampled or otherwise damaged or disturbed may see in the moment a good opportunity to make their case heard, explained and taken up by the emerging coalition mobilizing legislative attention.

In March, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) hosted a Native American Sacred Lands Protection Forum at the U.S. Department of Interior. The forum included American Indian leaders and federal government officials. The Department of Interior used the occasion to announce a new initiative to protect sacred lands.

Among sacred places are burial mounds and other funerary spaces of American Indians. This is an area of the problem that has received excellent attention in recent years.

Since passage of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) in 1990, there is increased agreement to repatriate and to respect the funerary properties of Native nations and communities. Nevertheless, since the Missouri River was dammed by the Army Corps of Engineers there has been a disregard of cemeteries as sacred. This agency has some 500 water projects under its jurisdiction and had promised to care for, and rebury human remains when needed, but in one recent case, never did. Heavy rains late Spring revealed graves and remains of Native people.

This is but one of many stories. Tribal leaders from North and South Dakota, California, Arizona, and Hawaii testified before the Senate Indian Affairs Committee on June 4. Among many cases, they told how the Navy and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers fail to seek input before building dams and other facilities that ruin sacred lands. The committee is considering whether Congress needs to put up stronger measures to identify and protect Indian holy places.

Some Indian witnesses before the Senate Indian Affairs Committee included: