Post by Okwes on Dec 9, 2005 10:27:12 GMT -5
Federal program collects protected eagles for American Indian ceremonies
BY KYLE HENLEY
The Gazette
DENVER - Every religion has its icon.
Islam has the crescent moon, and Christians have the cross. They are
well-known symbols that are easy to reproduce and distribute.
The eagle is the most sacred religious icon for many American Indians.
The awesome predatory birds are believed to have a special connection
with God. They represent truth, honesty, majesty, courage and wisdom.
The feathers, heads and talons of bald and golden eagles are prized
among almost all North American tribes and used in a variety of
religious ceremonies.
But, unlike crosses or images of the Virgin Mary, genuine eagle parts
are not easy to come by. The big birds are federally protected; they
can't be legally hunted.
The only way American Indians can legally obtain eagles is through the
National Eagle Repository, a federally run program in the Denver area.
The repository collects eagles found dead in the wild from as far away
as Alaska, cleans them up and distributes them to American Indians
throughout the nation.
"The primary parts are the wings and the tails," said Bernadette
Atencio, who heads the repository. "They are the parts that are used the
most in regalia and creating religious artifacts. The head and claws
would be next."
The repository is a small operation with five employees in a warehouse
on the former Rocky Mountain Arsenal, which is now a wildlife sanctuary.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife agents find dead birds in the wild, put them on
ice and ship them to the center. The repository keeps the birds in
freezers and essentially salvages all usable parts.
"Every tribe is different," Atencio said. "They all have different uses
for different parts, and we cater to all of them."
American Indians apply for the eagle parts - the service is provided at
no cost to the tribes - and the repository workers ship out 25 to 35
orders each week.
But it is a process that can take years.
The repository receives more than 3,000 requests for eagles each year
but only takes in about 1,600 eagles. The wait for an eagle is usually
three years.
Marjorie Waheneka of Pendleton, Ore., applied for an eagle in 1993. She
received her eagle - a young bald eagle - earlier this month.
Waheneka, with roots in the Palouse and Umatilla tribes, says it was
worth the unusual 12-year wait.
"I was floored, really," she said. "The feathers are so pretty, and they
match so evenly. I just started imagining how I was going to use it."
She put her eagle in the freezer and plans to use it for several
purposes.
"Sometimes we need feathers when there is a death or when there is a
marriage," she said. "They are to be given for education accomplishments
or for services.
"Also, I have two granddaughters, and I am happy to have plumes and
feathers they can use when they are dancing at celebrations."
Not everyone waits as long at Waheneka for an eagle. In fact, the wait
can be a few short months for those that just need feathers.
"We have lots of options for other parts if we don't get a whole bird,"
Atencio said. "There are a lot of people waiting."
BY KYLE HENLEY
The Gazette
DENVER - Every religion has its icon.
Islam has the crescent moon, and Christians have the cross. They are
well-known symbols that are easy to reproduce and distribute.
The eagle is the most sacred religious icon for many American Indians.
The awesome predatory birds are believed to have a special connection
with God. They represent truth, honesty, majesty, courage and wisdom.
The feathers, heads and talons of bald and golden eagles are prized
among almost all North American tribes and used in a variety of
religious ceremonies.
But, unlike crosses or images of the Virgin Mary, genuine eagle parts
are not easy to come by. The big birds are federally protected; they
can't be legally hunted.
The only way American Indians can legally obtain eagles is through the
National Eagle Repository, a federally run program in the Denver area.
The repository collects eagles found dead in the wild from as far away
as Alaska, cleans them up and distributes them to American Indians
throughout the nation.
"The primary parts are the wings and the tails," said Bernadette
Atencio, who heads the repository. "They are the parts that are used the
most in regalia and creating religious artifacts. The head and claws
would be next."
The repository is a small operation with five employees in a warehouse
on the former Rocky Mountain Arsenal, which is now a wildlife sanctuary.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife agents find dead birds in the wild, put them on
ice and ship them to the center. The repository keeps the birds in
freezers and essentially salvages all usable parts.
"Every tribe is different," Atencio said. "They all have different uses
for different parts, and we cater to all of them."
American Indians apply for the eagle parts - the service is provided at
no cost to the tribes - and the repository workers ship out 25 to 35
orders each week.
But it is a process that can take years.
The repository receives more than 3,000 requests for eagles each year
but only takes in about 1,600 eagles. The wait for an eagle is usually
three years.
Marjorie Waheneka of Pendleton, Ore., applied for an eagle in 1993. She
received her eagle - a young bald eagle - earlier this month.
Waheneka, with roots in the Palouse and Umatilla tribes, says it was
worth the unusual 12-year wait.
"I was floored, really," she said. "The feathers are so pretty, and they
match so evenly. I just started imagining how I was going to use it."
She put her eagle in the freezer and plans to use it for several
purposes.
"Sometimes we need feathers when there is a death or when there is a
marriage," she said. "They are to be given for education accomplishments
or for services.
"Also, I have two granddaughters, and I am happy to have plumes and
feathers they can use when they are dancing at celebrations."
Not everyone waits as long at Waheneka for an eagle. In fact, the wait
can be a few short months for those that just need feathers.
"We have lots of options for other parts if we don't get a whole bird,"
Atencio said. "There are a lot of people waiting."