Sacred Places in the Arctic and Beyond Cultural and Existential Transitions

List of Figures

List of Contributors

 1. Sacred places in transition. An introduction and organisational framework based on cultural ecology and legal pluralism

Patrick Dillon, Francis Joy and Dawid Bunikowski

Part One: The Arctic

2. Mythical landscapes and sacred natural places in the Arctic north, their exploitation through tourism and inadequate protection

Francis Joy

3. Relating to place: belonging, identity and the Sámi people of Giron (Kiruna), Sweden

Åsa Andersson Martti

4. Guided by the Aahka—Indigenous art as a tool for relating with the pluriversal reality of Sámi cosmology

Hege Dalen

5. The Nenets’ sacred places: the life story of the singing mountain Yangania Pe

Roza Laptander

Part Two: Broader contexts

6. Turtle Island sacred landscapes as places of radical relationality and doorways to mystery

Melissa K. Nelson and Christopher ‘Toby’ McLeod

7. Indigeneity and sacred lands in Pauline Melville’s The Ventriloquist’s Tale

Romona Bennett

 8. Reconciling the ‘sacred’ in state-protected forests: excerpts from the Mount Cameroon National Park in Sub-Saharan Africa

Ayonghe Akonwi Nebasifu

9. Sacred places as cultural ecologies: the case of the Uffington White Horse in the English chalklands

Patrick Dillon

Part Three: New directions

10. The linguistic complexity of cultural relativity: the idea of a sacred space

 Phil Bayliss

11. Legal pluralism, cultural ecology, and protection of sacred places

Dawid Bunikowski

12.  Beyond borders: how U.S. and German approaches to religious freedom diverge on Indigenous sacred sites

René Kuppe

13. Sacred places: cultural and existential transitions

Patrick Dillon, Dawid Bunikowski, Francis Joy and Phil Bayliss

Index

Biography

Francis Joy is a postdoctoral researcher in the Arctic Anthropology Research Team at the Arctic Centre, University of Lapland in Rovaniemi, Finland. His expertise is in cultural heritage.

Patrick Dillon is Emeritus Professor in the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Exeter, UK, and for ten years was Professor in the Philosophical Faculty at the University of Eastern Finland. His expertise is in cultural ecology.

Dawid Bunikowski is Professor at the State University of Applied Sciences in Wloclawek, Poland, and Visiting Scholar at the University of Eastern Finland School of Theology. His expertise is in law.

“Sacred Places in the Arctic and Beyond blends critical analysis with a global perspective in a deeply insightful examination of sacred places. It reveals both universal struggles and unique regional perspectives. It is a powerful call for policy reform that better respects Indigenous perspectives and practices.”

- Timo Koivurova, University of Lapland

“The authors of Sacred Places in the Arctic and Beyond sensitively draw important lessons from indigenous cultures, both in the Arctic and further afield. They provide insights into how we can share governance approaches across different cultures, and learn mutual lessons about organisational frameworks for living in harmony with the natural world.”

- Tom Oliver, University of Reading

“A brilliantly curated collection of case studies illustrating the importance of restorative, reciprocal relationships with sacred heritage. It integrates cultural ecology, heritage studies, and legal pluralism in promoting locally sensitive and inclusive protection of sacred places.”

- John C. Ryan, University of Notre Dame, Australia

“By combining Indigenous perspectives with cultural ecology and legal and policy debates, Sacred Places in the Arctic and Beyond offers important insights into how law and culture intersect in understanding and protecting sacred landscapes.”

- Reetta Toivanen, University of Helsinki

“Sacred Places in the Arctic and Beyond bridges Indigenous perspectives and academic insights in accounts of sacred places in the Arctic, Europe, Africa, and the Americas. It is a powerful contribution to how we might protect cultural heritage amid social and environmental changes.”

- Nuccio Mazzullo, University of Lapland