Sacred Places Honored: 2010 National Sacred Places Prayer Days across United States June 18-23

THE MORNING STAR INSTITUTE
611 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE
Washington, DC
20003

(202) 547-5531

JUNE 18-23 SET FOR 2010 NATIONAL SACRED PLACES PRAYER DAYS

Washington, DC — Observances and ceremonies will be held across the country from June 18 through June 23 to mark the 2010 National Days of Prayer to Protect Native American Sacred Places.

The observance in Washington, D.C. will be held on Monday, June 21 at 9:00 a.m. on the United States Capitol Grounds, West Front Grassy Area

Descriptions of certain sacred places and threats they face, as well as times and places for public commemorations are listed below.
Some of the gatherings highlighted in this release are educational forums, not religious ceremonies, and are open to the general public.
Others are ceremonial and may be conducted in private. In addition to those listed below, there will be observances and prayers offered at other sacred places that are under threat and at those not endangered at this time.

“Native and non-Native people nationwide gather at this time for Solstice ceremonies and to honor sacred places, with a special emphasis this year on sacred waters and those beings that depend on them,” said Suzan Shown Harjo (Cheyenne & Hodulgee Muscogee).
She is President of The Morning Star Institute, which organizes the National Sacred Places Prayer Days.

“Ceremonies are being conducted as Native American peoples engage in legal struggles with federal agencies that side with developers that endanger Native sacred places,” said Ms. Harjo. “Once again, we call on Congress to build a door to the courts for Native nations to protect our traditional churches. Many sacred places are being damaged because Native nations do not have equal access under the First Amendment to defend them.”

All other peoples in the United States can use the First Amendment to protect their churches, but the Supreme Court closed that door to Native Americans in 1988.
The Court, from 1988 to 2009, has declined to allow federal religious freedom statutes to be used to protect Native American sacred places or the exercise of Native American religious freedom at sacred places.

“Today, Native Americans are the only peoples in the United States who do not have a constitutional or statutory right of action to protect sacred places or our exercise of religious freedom there,” said Ms. Harjo. “That simply must change as a matter of fairness and equity.

Native nations have been cobbling together protections based on defenses intended for other purposes.
Some may permit a place at the table when development is being contemplated, but Native peoples are not taken seriously because the agencies and developers know that the Supreme Court does not appear inclined to hear lawsuits which lack a tailor-made cause of action.”

“The Obama Administration is strengthening consultation and sacred sites Executive Orders,” said Ms. Harjo, “but executive orders do not create legal protections.”

During his presidential campaign in 2008, Sen. Barack Obama addressed this issue as part of his Native American policy platform for religious freedom, cultural rights and sacred places protection:
“Native American sacred places and site-specific ceremonies are under threat from development, pollution, and vandalism. Barack Obama supports legal protections for sacred places and cultural traditions, including Native ancestors’ burial grounds and churches.”

“Native American people are heartened that President Obama is fulfilling his promise,” said Ms. Harjo. “And we look forward to the day when the President calls on Congress to create a right of action so we can defend our holy places. Over 20 years have passed without Congress creating a door to the courthouse for Native Americans. Now, with the support of the President, we pray that this will be the last year we are denied justice.”

The 2010 observances will be the eighth of the National Prayer Days to Protect Native American Sacred Places.

The first National Prayer Day was conducted on June 20, 2003, on the U.S. Capitol Grounds and nationwide to emphasize the need for Congress to enact a cause of action to protect Native sacred places.

That need still exists.

Native peoples also are encouraged that the U.S. is reviewing the United Nations’ Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and consulting with tribal leaders about whether or not to adopt it.

The Declaration includes the following statements regarding sacred places:

“Article 11, 1: Indigenous peoples have the right to practise and revitalize their cultural traditions and customs. This includes the right to maintain, protect and develop the past, present and future manifestations of their cultures, such as archaeological and historical sites, artifacts, designs, ceremonies, technologies and visual and performing arts and literature.

“Article 11, 2: States shall provide redress through effective mechanisms, which may include restitution, developed in conjunction with indigenous peoples, with respect to their cultural, intellectual, religious and spiritual property taken without their free, prior and informed consent or in violation of their laws, traditions and customs.”

“Article 12, 1: Indigenous peoples have the right to manifest, practise, develop and teach their spiritual and religious traditions, customs and ceremonies; the right to maintain, protect, and have access in privacy to their religious and cultural sites; the right to the use and control of their ceremonial objects; and the right to the repatriation of their human remains.”

“Article 25: Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain and strengthen their distinctive spiritual relationship with their traditionally owned or otherwise occupied and used lands, territories, waters and coastal seas and other resources and to uphold their responsibilities to future generations in this regard."

In addition to those listed separately below, prayers will be offered for the following sacred places, among others:

All Waters and Wetlands
Antelope Hills
Apache Leap
Badger Two Medicine
Badlands
Bear Butte
Bear Medicine Lodge
Black Hills
Black Mesa
Boboquivari Mountain
Cape Wind
Cave Rock
Chief Cliff
Coastal Chumash sacred lands in the Gaviota Coast
Coldwater Springs
Colorado River
Columbia River
Eagle Rock in Michigan's Upper Peninsula
Everglades
Fajada Butte
Gulf of Mexico
Haleakala Crater
Hickory Ground
Hualapai Nation landforms in Truxton and Crozier Canyons
Indian Pass
Kaho’olawe
Katuktu
Kituwah
Klamath River
Lake Superior
Mauna Kea
Medicine Bluff
Medicine Hole
Medicine Wheels
Mokuhinia
Moku’ula
Mount Shasta
Mount Taylor
Mount Tenabo
Nine Mile Canyon
Ocmulgee Old Fields and National Monument
Palo Duro Canyon
Petroglyphs National Monument
Pipestone National Monument
Puget Sound
Puvungna
Rainbow Bridge
Rattlesnake Island
Rio Grande River
Sweetgrass Hills
Sutter Buttes
Tse Whit Zen Village
Tsi-litch Semiahmah Village
Valley of Chiefs
Walking Woman Place
Woodruff Butte
Wolf River
Yucca Mountain
Zuni Salt Lake
Sacred places of all removed Native nations

2010 National Sacred Places Prayer Days events across the U.S.;

Turtle Island Project blogs:
http://turtleislandproject.blogspot.com/2010/06/2010-national-sacred-places-pray...
http://turtleislandproject.wordpress.com/2010/06/17/201nationalsacredplacespraye...
Navajo Lutheran Mission blogs
http://navajolutheranmission.wordpress.com/2010/06/17/navajoarizona2010nationals...
http://navajolutheranmission.blogspot.com/2010/06/navajo-nation-2010-national-sa...
Indian Country Today newspaper three-part series on Suzan Shown Harjo, president of Morning Star Institute
http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/archive/28180329.html
http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/archive/28180139.html
http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/archive/28180009.html