A new interdisciplinary volume examines sacred places through the combined lenses of cultural ecology and law. Bringing together case studies from the Arctic and from Indigenous contexts in North America, South America, Africa, Asia, and Europe, the book explores Indigenous cosmologies, challenges of access, and the impacts of extractive industries and tourism. Concluding chapters call for policy reappraisals, highlighting the disconnect between Western legal frameworks and Indigenous understandings of sacred places, and proposing new approaches informed by legal pluralism and cultural ecology.
Sacred places of Indigenous peoples are often neglected in legal frameworks and practical protection measures. Yet for the communities connected to them, these sites carry deep spiritual meaning and are integral to belief systems, traditions, and customary laws. In Sámi tradition, for instance, a sacred site is known as a sieidi—which may be a distinctive rock formation, an island, or a body of water. Such places are sometimes damaged or desecrated by tourism and other forms of external use. Across many Indigenous cosmologies, land is understood not merely as a physical environment, but as a living entity with profound spiritual dimensions.
Sacred Places in the Arctic and Beyond. Cultural and Existential Transitions, released by Routledge on May 22, 2026, was edited by Philosopher of Law and Law and Religion Scholar Dawid Bunikowski (University of Eastern Finland, School of Theology), Professor Emeritus Patrick Dillon (University of Exeter), and Postdoctoral Researcher Francis Joy (Arctic Centre).
Bunikowski, one of the editors, has served as a Visiting Lecturer at the UEF School of Theology since 2020. Reflecting on the scope of the volume, Bunikowski notes: “Our focus was primarily on Indigenous sacred places, including those of the Sámi, the Nenets, Native Americans, sub-Saharan African communities, and the Lokono-Arawak of Guyana. We also examined the case of the Uffington White Horse in England. In my view, these places deserve the same level of protection as Christian, Jewish, or Muslim sacred sites.”
Research publication:
Sacred Places in the Arctic and Beyond. Cultural and Existential Transitions. Francis Joy, Patrick Dillon, Dawid Bunikowski (eds), Routledge 2026
For further information, please contact:
Dawid Bunikowski, [email protected]