Traditional religious and ceremonial practices of Native Americans are often inseparably bound to specific areas of land. Many of these sacred places are located on what is now public land and Western concepts of resource development, such as logging, mining and tourism, may conflict with the integrity of these sacred places. Yet, while federal and other land managers routinely take into account the needs of developers and recreational users in making land management decisions, they do not so readily take into account the often profound effect of their undertakings upon sacred, ceremonial and traditional cultural places that are critical to Native American populations, tribes and cultures.
AAIA has provided assistance to tribes and traditional practitioners to protect sacred places for decades. For example: