Devils Tower is sacred to Native Americans, who often come to offer prayers, visible in the form of bundles that hang from these ancient pines. At one point, the bundles were bright shades of red, blue, and yellow, but they have faded from exposure to the bright Wyoming sun. Yet there they are: physical expressions of prayer in a national park.
It dawns on me: this is how we integrate religious liberty into everyday life. The National Park Service works to protect the natural wonder that is Devils Tower, giving preference to those who hold the mountain sacred. Meanwhile, visitors like my troupe demonstrate respect for the free exercise of religion by these Native Americans by leaving their prayer bundles undisturbed. This is freedom in real life.
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