Sacred Sites

Concept of Sacred Sites

Sacred Sites may be defined as: Sacred sites are places integral to the practice of Indian spiritual and religious traditions, the well-being of tribal cultures, and the health of the earth. Examples include sacred mountains, rivers, springs, rocks, petroglyphs, pictographs, burial sites, and ceremonial sites. Since the arrival of Europeans to what is now the United States, these sites have been subject to destruction, intrusion and vandalism by non-Indians and by extractive industry.(1) See more related entries to Sacred Sites in this legal encyclopedia.

Resources

Notes

1. Adapted from “An Introduction to Indian Nations in the United States,” National Congress of American Indians, ncai.org/about-tribes/indians_101.pdf>, 8.