This article traces the Devils Tower litigation in the context of the "Bear Lodge" alliance's theoretical underpinnings, particularly the interrelationship among culture, geographic place, and religion, as well as the institutional mechanisms that regulate litigation alliances in the U.S. judicial system. It discusses principal factors in litigation alliances--such as trust, resources, expertise, media access, and moral force--and describes both the litigation in three levels of federal courts and the arguments of the Native American and religious groups that formed the alliance. Finally, the article discusses the implications of such alliances, including the potential significance of cultural values in influencing or shaping judicial decisions about sacred sites. Based on the findings, it asks difficult questions about the need to depend on "mainstream" religious traditions to validate government policies that accommodate traditional Indian religious practices. (Contains 54 notes.)