Worship and wilderness; Culture, religion, and law in public lands management by Lloyd Burton

American Forests, Spring, 2004

$24.95. University of Wisconsin Press, 2003.

This indepth study by University of Colorado scholar Lloyd Burton raises important new questions about the rightful future of our public lands when these national commons are understood as sacred grounds, as sanctuaries "in addition to being natural resource supermarkets and outdoor playgrounds ..."

Divided into four parts, the book first examines the meanings of culture, spirituality, and religion from the perspective of indigenous peoples and of the later immigrants to America. Part Two looks at the relationships between culture and environment as expressed in "First Native" legal systems and those of the British common law tradition.

Part Three applies these concepts to actual case studies of conflicts on the public lands of the United States and other common law countries. Part Four, Charting a Common Course, challenges our society and public land managers to find ways to respect tribal needs while honoring those of established religions by managing sacred sites for "mutual accommodation of intercultural differences."

No easy task in our pluralistic, secular society. Burton's analyses and conclusions will appear provocative to many. But public land managers and environmental policymakers will not find a more thorough and comprehensive study of the significance of the sacred in understanding our common heritage in the national commons.