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.