Religious National Monuments are protected areas in the United States. The difference between a National Park and a National Monument is that the U.S. President, by virtue of the Antiquities Act of 1906, can name any space or cultural location a National Monument without the approval of Congress. A National Park, however, has to be approved by Congress. As well, religious and national monuments receive fewer public funds than national parks. Religious and national monuments are cared for by such federal agencies as the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management.
The Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. reflects the Christian origins of the United States and honors God with the words 'Laus Deo' meaning 'Praise be to God' on the aluminum cap that is situated on top of the Monument. The tiny sign which is less than 6 inches high is unseen by people since it faces the sky. Stairs that lead up to the monument also contain carvings from the Christian scriptures, specifically from Proverbs and Exodus as well as from the Gospel of John.
Devils Tower National Monument located in the Black Hills of Crook County, northeastern Wyoming.was established in 1906 and is a religious site for the Plains Indians. It is also the first National Monument instituted in the U.S. June is a sacred month for the Plains Indians when many visit this area to perform religious observances. Unfortunately, it is also a prime time for rock climbing and this has caused some conflict between climbers who feel restricted from using the site and the American Indians who want climbing to be stopped permanently or during the month of June. Since 1995, the National Park Service has encouraged people to avoid climbing the 867 foot-high natural rock tower out of respect for the Plains Indians traditions.
President William Howard Taft named the Rainbow Bridge a National Monument in 1910. This majestic, but natural bridge stands nearly 290 feet high and has been held sacred by American Indians for centuries. The bridge's arch is 42 feet thick and 33 feet wide and is secreted away at the bottom of Navajo Mountain in Arizona. Visitors who want to walk the two miles it takes to cross the bridge can reach it in one of two ways: by boat across Lake Powell in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and by hiking across Navajo Nation lands. (Write.to Navajo Nation, Parks and Recreation Department, Box 9000, Window Rock, Arizona 86515.for a permit before hiking across these lands.)
The Salinas Pueblo Missions near the town of Mountainair in Torrance County, New Mexico is a religious National Monument that comprises the ruins of four churches in the ghost towns of Quarai and Abó. It also includes the partially excavated pueblo of Gran Quivira. The Salinas Pueblo Missions is a memoriam of the first meetings of the Pueblo Indians and the Spanish Franciscan missionaries.
