June 21 set for 2006 National Prayer Day for Sacred Places

WASHINGTON - Observances and ceremonies will be held across the country on June 21 to mark the 2006 National Day of Prayer to Protect Native American Sacred Places.

''Native and non-Native people nationwide are gathering to honor sacred places, with a special emphasis on those that are endangered by actions that can be avoided,'' said Suzan Shown Harjo, Cheyenne and Hodulgee Muscogee. Harjo is the president of The Morning Star Institute, which organizes the national prayer days and is a columnist for Indian Country Today.

Some of the gatherings are educational forums, not religious ceremonies, and are open to the general public. Others are ceremonial and may be conducted in private.

This will be the fourth National Day of Prayer for Sacred Places. The observance in Washington, D.C., will be held at the National Museum of the American Indian on the National Mall.

The first National Prayer Day was conducted on June 20, 2003, on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol and nationwide to emphasize the need for Congress to enact a cause of action to protect Native sacred places. That need still exists.

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