Over 2,000 articles about native americans of the US and Canada First Nations.

Submit your own articles about american indians without knowing any HTML here
Are you ready?

Today's Top Story:

When did native americans get the right to vote and drink alcohol?

Traffic Ranking

Privacy Policy

Any information collected on our site is used for internal purposes only and will not be shared or sold to third parties!

Your transactions in our store are secure

Videos of the Week

Red Thunder Prayer Song
Prayer Song with video 5:05 minutes

Healing Heart of Humanity
Humanity Healing Network invites you to embrace a revolutionary concept. 4:39 minutes

Native American Chicken Dance
A native american chicken dance performed at a pow wow. 3:37 minutes

Leonard Peltier ~ Americas Mandela
The story of the more than 60 men and women who died during the "reign of terror." How all that relates to the case of Leonard Peltier. 11:58 minutes.

Events->March/Rally: June 21 set for 2006 National Prayer Day for Sacred Places

Posted on Saturday, June 17 @ 15:13:25 PDT

WASHINGTON - Observances and ceremonies will be held across the country on June 21 to mark the 2006 National Day of Prayer to Protect Native American Sacred Places.

Stumble It!

''Native and non-Native people nationwide are gathering to honor sacred places, with a special emphasis on those that are endangered by actions that can be avoided,'' said Suzan Shown Harjo, Cheyenne and Hodulgee Muscogee. Harjo is the president of The Morning Star Institute, which organizes the national p rayer days and is a columnist for Indian Country Today.

Some of the gatherings are educational forums, not religious ceremonies, and are open to the general public. Others are ceremonial and may be conducted in private.

This will be the fourth National Day of Prayer for Sacred Places. The observance in Washington, D.C., will be held at the National Museum of the American Indian on the National Mall.

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

''Many Native American sacred places are being damaged because Native nations do not have equal access under the First Amendment to defend them,'' Harjo said. ''All other people in the United States have the First Amendment to protect their churches. Only traditional Native Americans cannot get into the courthouse through the Freedom of Religion Clauses. That simply must change as a matter of fairness and equity.''

In 1988, the Supreme Court told Congress it had to enact a statutory right of action, if it wanted to protect Native sacred places. ''Eighteen years have passed without Congress creating that door to the courthouse for Native Americans,'' Harjo said. ''And some of these places cannot withstand many more years of legal and physical onslaughts.

''Native and non-Native people are gathering, again, to call on anyone who will listen to help protect these national treasures and to do something about this national disgrace that threatens them.''

There are many events happening across the country, here are a few:

California: Pit River Territory

Pit River, Wintu, Shasta, Modoc and other Native peoples will gather on traditional Pit River Territory to pray for the protection of the sacred and natural Medicine Lake Highlands in northeastern California.

Following the ceremonies, there will be a gathering to plan nonviolent resistance to Calpine Energy's destructive project for the Medicine Lake Highlands. This action will build on the protest that took place at the Calpine headquarters in San Jose in January 2006.

Colorado: Native American Rights Fund, Boulder

The Native American Rights Fund will have a sunrise ceremony, which is open to the public and will be held on NARF's front lawn beginning at 6 a.m. The program is expected to last for one hour with a prayer ceremony, speakers and a moment of silence to show concern for the sacred places that are being damaged and destroyed today

Kansas: Wakarusa Wetlands

Save the Wakarusa Wetlands Inc. - an association of Lawrence-based Haskell Indian Nations University alumni, students and community supporters - will observe National Prayer Day at sunrise in the wetlands south of Lawrence. Participants will ask for the protection of the Wakarusa Wetlands, which is threatened by highway project.

Missouri: Missouri River

The Lower Brule Sioux Tribe will hold its Annual Prayer Breakfast and Summer Solstice Acknowledgement. This will be held to honor The Prayer Day for Sacred Places and The International Peace and Prayer Day, both of which are observed on the summer solstice.

New Mexico: Morning Star House, Albuquerque

An observance for the protection of all sacred places and sacred beings will take place at sunrise at the Morning Star House, 6001 Marble Ave. N.E., Albuquerque.

North Dakota: Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation, New Town

A sunrise prayer ceremony will take place at the Fort Berthold Reservation, home of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation in North Dakota. Details regarding the events of the day are available through the tribal office.

Washington, D.C.: The Morning Star Institute at the National Museum of the American Indian

The observance will take place at the National Museum of the American Indian on the Mall, in the circle between the east entrance and the Wetlands Pond, at 7:30 a.m.

Washington: Snoqualmie Falls

National Day of Prayer for the Protection of Sacred Places will be observed by the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe at Snoqualmie Falls at noon. Attendees are asked to bring a dish to pass for a potluck lunch to be shared afterwards.

Washington: Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and Lummi Nation

The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe will conduct a Prayer Ceremony in Honor of the Ancestors at Tse Whit Zen Village near Port Angeles. The Lummi Indian Nation will commemorate a totem to the memory of veterans.

SOURCE:

This article first appeared at Indian Country Today