Religion, Faith and Spirituality

"In Benin, mangroves are said to be protected by the Zangbéto. In the Vodun belief, this deity forbids wood cutting, under penalty of a curse. As a result, in 10 years, more than 500 hectares (1,200 acres) of mangroves have been preserved thanks to this spiritual practice, which protects fragile and vital ecosystems."

"A South Dakota mining company has canceled a drilling project in the Black Hills after opposition from Native American tribes and local groups."

"Nine Native American tribes in South Dakota, North Dakota and Nebraska are suing the federal government in a bid to stop exploratory drilling for graphite near a sacred site in the Black Hills."

"National park staffers used to control park websites. But not anymore."

"As the Rio Grande dries out months early, water managers look to blessings, prayers and groundwater to save the acequias that have spread water, history and culture to farmers and families since the 16th century."

"The Trump administration has announced it will keep flying a rainbow Pride flag at Stonewall National Monument in New York City, according to Associated Press. The announcement was made as the administration agrees to settle a lawsuit filed by LGBTQ+ and historic preservation groups seeking to block the flag’s removal, which occurred in February."

"The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF), a national Washington, D.C.-based education and advocacy organization, announced “Erasing American History” as the subject of its annual thematic Landslide report about threatened landscapes and landscape features and issued a call for nominations. As the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence approaches, the United States is simultaneously also witnessing the erasure of irreplaceable cultural resources that reflect and interpret our shared history."

"Newsom promised to help a Native tribe restore sacred salmon to their ancestral river. Now California is ending the funding. The fish made it back to their ancestral waters for the first time in 80 years — so why is California walking away now?"