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<<<Wyoming Tribe Gains Right To Kill Bald Eagles>>>
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Interesting....
The Fish and Wildlife Service has approved a first-time permit allowing a Native American tribe in Wyoming to kill two bald eagles in a centuries-old religious ceremony once outlawed by the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs.
The step was hailed on Wednesday as a victory that honors the cultural and religious rituals practiced by the 9,600 Northern Arapahos on the Wind River Indian Reservation in west-central Wyoming.
"The eagle has been with us for so long, even before the settlers came. For the government to tell us, you can't use that bird anymore ... it slaps natives in the face," said tribal member Lokilo St. Claire.
It is almost always illegal to kill bald eagles, which were removed from the federal threatened and endangered species list in 2007 but are still safeguarded by laws like the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.
The bald eagle is the national bird of the United States and is depicted on everything from the Great Seal of the United States to the dollar bill.
The Fish and Wildlife Service, which oversees conservation of eagles, has granted very few so-called "take" permits allowing Native Americans to kill golden eagles for religious purposes, spokeswoman Diane Katzenberger said.
The permit allowing a tribal take of bald eagles is believed to be the first of its kind.
Approval for the permit for the Northern Arapaho stems from a federal lawsuit the tribe filed in November that claimed the government's ban on the taking of an eagle infringed on religious and free speech rights guaranteed to tribal members by federal law, the constitution and treaties.
The Northern Arapaho first applied to the service in October 2009 and submitted a revised application in November 2010 to harvest eagles to be used in the "sun dance," an annual summer ceremony sacred to the tribe.
It was unclear whether the lawsuit would now be withdrawn. Andrew Baldwin, attorney for the tribe, said the Northern Arapaho would seek to renew the permit each year.
Read more: [link to www.wtkr.com]
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