As citizens of sovereign nations engulfed by another country that occupies most of their historic land base, Indigenous peoples still must navigate layers of policy and levels of U.S. government to protect and access places at which they worshiped freely prior to the 1400s.

Myra Parker (Mandan/Hidatsa) delineates the complex causes of why Indigenous communities need to heal and discusses how accessing sacred places can help Tribal Nations attain better public health.

David LaSarte-Meeks (Coeur d'Alene) encourages Native people that they have what it takes to follow in the footsteps of their ancestors, innovate, and lead next generations.

Former Isleta Pueblo Governor and Chief Judge Verna Teller (Isleta Pueblo) explains how lack of access and improving access to sacred places impacts the health and survival of Indigenous lifeways, cultures, and peoples today.

Traditional knowledge, culture, health, and spirituality are so interconnected with Native American sacred places. NARF has a long history protecting sacred places and supporting solutions grounded in Indigenous thinking.  This Native American Heritage month and through the end of the year, we will highlight the ongoing work to protect sacred places.  

Photo of Mauna Kea courtesy of Kapulei Flores. This fall, the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation (NHLC) and the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) will offer two trainings

The National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers filed an amicus brief in support of the lawsuit filed by the Tohono O’odham Nation and the San Carlos Apache Tribe against the U.S. Department of Interior for failing to follow the Section 106 consultation process...

The Havasupai Tribe, the Hopi Tribe, and the Navajo Nation defended their request to intervene in a lawsuit attacking their role as co-managers of the new Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument, and challenging the laws that allow U.S. President Biden...

On April 12, 2024, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), represented by the Native American Rights Fund (NARF), filed an amicus brief supporting the Shoshone-Bannock