Written by Don Byrd
Seeking to accommodate the religious freedom needs of the Northern Arapaho Tribe, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has granted a license to kill 2 bald eagles this year. The Wyoming Tribe uses eagle feathers in religious ceremony and have long sought leave to hunt the formerly threatened species for that purpose.
“It has been since the beginning of time with us, and we respectfully utilize the eagle in our ceremonies,” said Harvey Spoonhunter, a tribal elder and former chairman of the Northern Arapaho Business Council. “We get to utilize the eagle, which we consider a messenger to the creator.”
Bald eagles were removed from the federal list of threatened species in 2007. The birds remain protected under the federal Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. Several Indian tribes have been allowed permits to kill golden eagles for religious purposes.
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“They’ve done the correct thing, the proper thing. It’s a good step in the direction of the United States trying to make amends for things that they did all too well to suppress Native American religious freedom for so long,” Harjo said.
