ABSTRACT
Sacred natural sites are found on six continents and in most countries. Some of them are seemingly among the oldest and most revered places on Earth, and concurrently new sacred natural sites are still being established, in some cases by migrants to new countries. Sacred natural sites are natural features or areas of land or water having special spiritual significance to peoples and communities. This working definition is broad and can be used as a basis for more specific articulations, including sacred site, sacred place and sacred area. Sacred natural sites consist of all types of natural features including mountains, hills, forests, groves, rivers, lakes, lagoons, caves, islands and springs. Spiritual governance is autochthonous and predicated solely on the agency of numina that, as owners, hold absolute power and authority. Indigenous people have shown remarkable resilience and aptitude for cultural revitalisation in the face of cultural stress or social change.
