Traditional knowledge, culture, health, and spirituality are deeply intertwined with Native American sacred places. The Native American Rights Fund (NARF) has a longstanding history of protecting these sites and supporting solutions rooted in Indigenous perspectives. During Native American Heritage Month and continuing through the end of the year, NARF aims to highlight its ongoing efforts to safeguard these sacred locations.

Myra Parker, a member of the Mandan and Hidatsa tribes, explains the complex reasons why Indigenous communities require healing. She emphasizes that access to sacred places can help Tribal Nations achieve improved public health. The loss of cultural identity due to land dispossession, genocide, and continuous ecological harm has resulted in intergenerational and personal trauma that affects every individual within a Native community. This healing process necessitates access to sacred sites.

Parker presents a case study involving the Mandan and Hidatsa peoples who face the challenge of rebuilding their societies after losing both the buffalo and their agricultural land base—two vital components of their civilizations. "So much healing needs to happen in communities across Native America!" Parker expressed her thoughts at the Sacred Places and Public Health think tank organized by NARF in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health.

NARF encourages donations this holiday season to support its mission of protecting sacred places and assisting Native American communities.