ですがこれらはすべて、白人が破壊し、または俗化してしまったものであり、本来的にはインディアンの ひとびとが、聖地として、深い尊崇の思いで扱って来たものです。
そのような地は全米に無数にありますが、ここではそのうちから、わずか４箇所を紹介します。
 

Four sites are shown on this page, three of which are very well known and quite popular among 20th century tourists. The fourth is not so well known but it does have something in common with the others presented here: all were once cultural and/or religious centers of the peoples known as Native Americans -- or American Indians. To varying degrees, these sites were and are sacred to these indigenous peoples. The extent to which the cultural and religious importance of these sites has been respected by late-comers to the North American continent is the subject of this page.

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The Grand Canyon of Arizona
(Picture credit: Susan Koyama-Steele)

それはひとびとは、その昔、地下に住んでいて、その世界を第三の世界と呼び、ひとびとが創造主の意志にした がわなくなったため、その世界は洪水によって破壊されたのです。
創造主の意志にかなったひとびとだけが、いまの世界、「第四の世界」に、この大峡谷の深い穴から浮かび上 がって来た、この伝説は近隣のホピ、ワラバイ、そしてナヴァホ族などが深く信じているものです。

The world famous "Grand Canyon," located in the northwestern quandrant of what is now called Arizona, was curved by the erosive force of the Colorado River over millions of years. This place is the center of the "Emergence Myth" firmly held by nearby tribes, such as the Hualapais, the Hopi, the Navajo (or the Dineh), and others.
The "Emergence Myth," as it is called by modern scientists, is a belief that the world in which we live is the fourth world, the successor of the third world, which had been destroyed by a flood sent by a creator, known generally among the tribes as "The Great Mystery." Interestingly, the deluge is thought to have been sent because the people of the world angered the creator for not obeying its commands, an idea that is not unique to Native Americans.
After the flood, only certain "worthy" or "chosen" people were allowed to build a new, i.e. fourth world. They emerged from the underworld through the nadir of this Canyon, hence the "Emergence Myth."
It goes without saying that each tourist incursion into the Grand Canyon is a violation of this sacred place.

自分達の信仰の殿堂に、侵入者の顔がこのように彫られているということは、なにを意味するでしょう ね。みなさん、インディアンのひとの身になって、よく考えてみてくださいね。

Another world famous tourist spot is located in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Curved into Mount Rushmore are the faces of four American presidents.
Long before the advent of European-Americans, the Black Hills were regarded by the so-called Plains Tribes -- the Dakotas, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Shoshoni, et al -- as the most sacred place in the entire Plains region.
Some Native People understandly consider these curvings an act of desecration of their Holy Land.

Steven Speilberg made this striking monolyth, known as "Devil's Tower," world famous in his motion picture "Close Encounters of Third Kind." An unintended side effect of the bluff's new fame, however, was the dramatic increase in the number of rock climbers determined to assault the steep sides.
Native peoples have long known this site as "Bear's Lodge," a sacred place where one's spirtitual-celestial connection was affirmed and/or renewed.
It is quite likely that Native Americans made astronomical observations related to their religious ceremonies from this place.
 

Do you know where this place is? If you do, you are probably an expert on things Indian -- that is, American Indian. This site was once a place where an Indian civilization of the highest order existed.  Here's a hint to help your guess work. In the upper left corner of the picture, you see a big bend of a river. The river is the Missouri.
The site may well represent the apex of North American Indian civilization. Though it perished long before the onslaught of European-Americans, the site is quite noteworthy for its obvious city planning and architectural schemes.
In the picture, you can see a mound with a shrine at its top, encircled by a stockade. This is believed to be the residence of the ranking priest king. Visitors to the site still see the residue of the mighty mound up to this day.