Indigenous Spirituality
Court rehears case to protect Oak Flat, an Apache sacred site in Arizona
By Emily McFarlan Miller — March 21, 2023
(RNS) — ‘A win for Apache Stronghold will be a win for people of all faiths,’ said Luke Goodrich.
US tribes get bison as they seek to restore bond with animal
By Thomas Peipert and Matthew Brown — March 17, 2023
GOLDEN, Colo. (AP) — About a half-dozen of the animals from Colorado will form the nucleus of a new herd for the Yuchi people south of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
‘Resistance’ is not just a buzzword in Kaitlin Curtice’s new book
By Emily McFarlan Miller — March 7, 2023
(RNS) — In ‘Living Resistance,’ Curtice shares essays about what resistance can look like, touching on topics such as prayer and protecting the land and even child care.
Sage, sacred to Native Americans, is being used in purification rituals, raising issues of cultural appropriation
By Helen A. Berger — March 2, 2023
(The Conversation) — Native Americans are struggling to find sage for their spiritual practices as the plant is being overharvested for sale to the wider public.
Library of Congress to highlight Muslim slave and scholar with $2.5 million grant
By Adelle M. Banks — February 14, 2023
(RNS) — The project, which will aid other library programs, is one of 16 to receive grants from the Lilly Endowment’s Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative.
50 years after Roe, many ethics questions shape the abortion debate: 4 essential reads
By Molly Jackson — January 19, 2023
(The Conversation) — Looking at the underlying philosophical and moral questions involved in abortion debates can help explain why it’s such an intensely divisive issue.
Jews, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians unite in support for Apache fight to save Oak Flat
By Alejandra Molina — January 18, 2023
(RNS) — Congress approved the transfer of the land to Resolution Copper in 2014 in exchange for 6,000 acres elsewhere, but the Western Apache claim that the site has unique spiritual meaning.
In LA, activists ‘summon spiritual energy’ to seek justice for Keenan Anderson
By Alejandra Molina — January 15, 2023
LOS ANGELES (RNS) — A vigil on Saturday for Keenan Anderson was not a protest but a 'spiritual gathering,' said Melina Abdullah, co-founder of the Los Angeles chapter of Black Lives Matter.
As smudging goes mainstream, concerns rise over appropriation, overharvesting
By Emily McFarlan Miller — January 12, 2023
(RNS) — Along with the popularity of white sage comes concern about cultural appropriation, as well as overharvesting.
The most significant religion stories of 2022
By RNS staff — December 29, 2022
(RNS) — Faith communities and organizations were at the center of some of the year's most indelible moments.
Latino communities across the US celebrate the tradition of the posadas
By Emily Neil — December 22, 2022
(RNS) — For the nine nights before Christmas, Mexican and Guatemalan Catholics gather to reenact the journey at the heart of the Christmas story, and their own lives.
The most intriguing books on religion we read in 2022
By RNS staff — December 21, 2022
(RNS) — Pushing the boundaries of what faith can and should be, this year’s best religion and spirituality reads offer everything except predictability.
Why winter solstice matters around the world: 4 essential reads
By Molly Jackson — December 21, 2022
(The Conversation) — The dead of winter, when the longest night of the year takes place, has also traditionally been celebrated as a time of renewal and reverence.
Psychedelic chaplains: In clinical trials, a new form of spiritual guide emerges
By Kathryn Post — December 13, 2022
(RNS) — Spiritual care practitioners are being trained to support patients undergoing psychedelic therapy in clinical trials and decriminalized settings.
Native Hawaiians believe volcanoes are alive and should be treated like people, with distinct rights and responsibilities
By Richard W Stoffle — December 9, 2022
(The Conversation) — The eruption of Mauna Loa is a profound spiritual experience for many Native Hawaiians. An anthropologist explains Native American beliefs on the living Earth and volcanic lava.
