Natalie Hinderliter- Choice Topic 4- Sacred Lands

 In class we watched the documentary "In the Light of Reverence" regarding the efforts of several indigenous groups to protect their ancestral and sacred lands. This film encouraged me to think more deeply on the topic of land ownership. I wonder what can be done to ensure that the sites of such sacred importance to indigenous peoples are protected. The film also made me think back to the tragedy of the commons, especially in regards to the Hopi people attempting to defend their sacred sites on the Colorado Plateau from being destroyed as the result of mining for gravel production. As mining continues on these sites, their sanctity is destroyed, as well as the value of the site itself. So what can be done to strike a balance? But can there even be a balance, how can the sacred religious and spiritual practices of an entire population of people be compared to monetary profits? To put it simply, there are no easy answers that will be entirely morally correct or that will make all involved parties content, but the current situation is clearly in need of amendments. 

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