Repost from Willow Jack Passing the word on to you guys..........

[X49ER]

I'm re-posting this....

Repost from Willow Jack

Passing the word on to you guys..........


Mar 16, 2009 7:15 PM

Hello everyone,
I have been following this since some friends of mine were raided last week. It has been part of an ongoing investigation for two years and anyone, ANYONE who does feather work is being targeted. Other targets are those who trade or give feathers to any of these feather-workers. From what I have noticed, the main targets have been N.A.C. peeps. Now the Eagle Act says bartering of feathers is illegal, so NO-ONE TRADE any feathers. The FEDS are really watching. Don't even openly give away any feathers.





I think those who have been involved need to contact the Native American Rights Fund. This is a form of "policing" how we handle our own sacred items. Now, I am not overlooking the fact that there were some feathers poached by individuals but many of the people targeted don't even kill eagles, they trade.




Whoever 's feathers were with them people caught at the time, HAVE LOST their feathers!!!
Now if the FEDS want us to be required to carry documents, what is happening to our religious freedom and our sovereignty? What is next, peyote? More loss of sacred sites and sacred practices? I really think we should pay mind to things like this because, as one friend said "YOU WOULD NEVER SEE THEM CONFISCATING CROSSES OUT OF A CHURCH".





So if you know of anyone involved, take a stand and perhaps file a class action lawsuit or gather leaders to advocate for their people. We cannot act like this is nothing because the decisions made by the FEDS affect each and every one of us.





THANK god I have papers for my feathers and fans, they all came from the National Eagle Repository, But what about our old old feathers? I know my fam carries a warbonnet from a battle in 1867. How do we protect feathers given to us by our elders or feathers we have gotten from family members who have passed? We don't bury those things, they are sacred and must live on to carry them prayers out.





Anyway, sorry for the rant but so far the case has been building for two years, the FEDS have pics of powwow peeps and N.A.C. peeps. They have someone on their side who knows people and they are keeping tabs through snowballing.




They even have pics of peeps at Denver March last year!
IF YOU KNOW of anyone who has been raided, make sure they take names of officers, ask for a list of items taken and be as careful as they can. I suggest a class action law suit and I suggest action be taken by our tribal leaders. Do not allow the FEDS to tell us how to be, we know how to be and do not need more paternalism than we have as Indigenous people.





Aho,
Willow Jack


Native American Rights Fund
1506 Broadway
Boulder, CO 80302
Phone: (303) 447-8760
Fax: (303) 443-7776

The Native American Rights Fund, a national non-profit law firm, has been dedicated to providing the highest quality of legal services in our representation of Native American interests since 1970. Fees are negotiable.






Our practice areas include:

* Jurisdictional and Tribal Sovereignty Issues
* Land Claims
* Water Rights
* Environmental Law
* Economic Development
* Tribal Codes and Constitutions
* Hunting and Fishing Rights
* Trust Lands and Trust Responsibility
* Treaty Rights
* Recognition
* Education
* Indigenous Voting Rights
* Religious Rights

If you have a legal matter that involves federal Indian law and would like to request legal assistance from our organization, please send your request in writing to the Litigation Management Committee. Attention: Clela Rorex, Law Office Administrator.






Litigation Management Committee

* Kim Gottschalk
* Natalie Landreth
* Melody McCoy

Native American Rights Fund
1506 Broadway
Boulder, CO 80302
Phone: (303) 447-8760
Fax: (303) 443-7776

[ugidali]

Dang!

Be careful!

I'd be so mad if that happened to mine.

[WhoMe]

X,

It's starting isn't it! Check out this article.

4 arrested for investigation of eagle poaching


I know a couple of these guys.

[Josiah]

This has been a hot topic around here
Dig out those Permits and keep them with you at all times!

The other problem is they do not have a way to determine the age of a feather unless its like pertified
So those feathers that have been with families since before 1960 are exempt under the letter of the law...
During a raid they take everything and then the burden of proof is up to you! How in the hell do you prove that those feathers are exempt!!!

Myspace/facebook is looked at by the Feds, So those really keen fans and feathers that are posted on there makes you a target, no longer do they just wander through powwows or by word of mouth they can just sit back and watch and collect information until they have a area to raid
More bang for the buck
Denver March is one such Hot Area

All my feathers have permits and I have copies in the truck, with my fans, in my house, in my wallet and hanging on the wall as art, I Never leave home without them...

[Iowa_Boy]

at denver one year, maybe late 80s, we were running late for grand entry, running through the parking lot putting on my roach when some guy yells, hey you, come here. Well, I was in my late teens, stupid, so I start walking over to this van. One of the guys I was with came running up behind me and grabbed me by the arm and drug me away before I got clsoe to the van. Turns out, they were selling frozen eagles, had a van full of coolers of them, the feds were also in the parking lot and busted them that night. So it on the news the next day. For some reason, Denver has always seemed like a hot spot of both trading/selling feathers and of the feds busting people.

[myles]

whoo thats some scary news im not going to give any of my eagle feather ill put them in my hat instead

[X49ER]

Just a tought!!

uil

[Josiah]

The Issues Is so much larger than the guys in the paper or the poachers..It is an all out Attack on 1st Adm rights under the US Const!

it is also Cultural genocide!

Next It will be something more than feathers and Fan Makers for Pow wow and NAC! It will be bead workers homes will be raided, Drum makers homes will be raided, Singers homes will be raided Why because they are around people who pow wow and are active in NAC o they must have feathers.. it is just around the corner So Like I have said before hold on to those COMOD Feathers that the Gov has been so kind to give out to those they feel have Earned them, Stand here in line make your Mark Indian we will be glad to keep track of your sacred Items! Same way the Nazi keep track of Jews with Guns want to know where everyone was or they would raid your house take people away then they took those items and history tells the rest.. I think Indians, tribes fed And State and non enrolled folks can best decide how they practice their ways without the Fish and Wildlife busting down doors and raiding the homes of Fan makers it was much more than the Four knuckle heads in the paper!

My two son 10, 11 saw me run around gathering up STUFF pulling stuff packing up the cedar boxes , because I got a call from some Bros saying fan makers where the targets! Now my Boys keep asking why would someone not want me to Indian and have these things.. They both want to put on their Indian Cloths and march up to Whitehouse and demand to speak to Obama,, All of their feathers have been handed down and there not COMOD feathers that where rotten or touched by and handled by folks at the repo lot.. So for all that are so quick to line up sign up don't want any trouble and always have disclaimer I have my repo papers put I feel bad for those that don't..

Where would Indians be if our Great Great grandfathers submitted so quickly,,

one phrase: those Old folks Carried the Drum through the hard times.. For those that don't know the Drum here is a metaphor for all these Indian ways.

If you need help Call NARF,,


We need to have the Million Fan March ON DC!!

I will tell you no other Cultural that has religious ties to Items would stand for this!!

Again this is so much larger than those four you see in the news close your blinds or in my case bed sheets the Feds are watching you! BOO

I agree with everything you say
However its those few knuckleheads that decide on there own that the law dont pertain to them

Hey if a ndn man wants to go out and take an eagle and use it for ceremony purposes is one thing

But lets not lose sight of who was busted here! They were SELLING Feathers
That Lumps all NDN's Together always has and always will
The few that dont think that they will get caught do these things and the ones that are using them for ceremony also suffer!

[Lakota_winyan]

well my thing is this..if the feather was given to the indigneous peoples through ceremony b/f the whiteman..then why do we have to abide by their laws..our whole lives are spiritual then why is it that we can only use them for ceremonies..and based on what theory??? that they can tell us how to live and what to do when and where...??? Its the same double standard applied again and again...they are the ones who developed the money market..but yet again the indigenous people can not and shall not do this b/c of this law and that law...what about our laws did they ever obey them?? I don't know what the answer is but...we never wasted animals or anything..only what we needed..they brought greed to us..and now they tell oops sorry you can't do that or you are going to jail...hmmmmmmm it makes me think they always seem to target indigneous males..or is it just me???

[ndnMSW]

What I don't understand is the government's priorities right now....with the AIG and Madoff scandals in everyone's faces, why are eagle feathers, which have no value to anyone other than Native people, such a big deal right now to anyone?

yes, they are an endangered species...but that was not due to Natives, it was due to white sport hunters who saw no other value in those feathers besides proof of having killed something...look at those old western movies with "Indian's" in them...the black and white feathers in the war bonnets on the "Indians" are real...and there are countless numbers of real black and white feathers in those old movies.

I read my permit and it says that eagle feathers can be passed on, or given, but never bought, sold, or bartered for.

This is just messed up. I'm not defending those who were stupid enough to poach those eagles...but raiding the homes and opening investigations on people who posess feathers, when there is so much other crap going on in this country, is just ridiculous beyond belief.

[NorthofAda]

What I don't understand is the government's priorities right now....with the AIG and Madoff scandals in everyone's faces, why are eagle feathers, which have no value to anyone other than Native people, such a big deal right now to anyone?

yes, they are an endangered species...but that was not due to Natives, it was due to white sport hunters who saw no other value in those feathers besides proof of having killed something...look at those old western movies with "Indian's" in them...the black and white feathers in the war bonnets on the "Indians" are real...and there are countless numbers of real black and white feathers in those old movies.

I read my permit and it says that eagle feathers can be passed on, or given, but never bought, sold, or bartered for.

This is just messed up. I'm not defending those who were stupid enough to poach those eagles...but raiding the homes and opening investigations on people who posess feathers, when there is so much other crap going on in this country, is just ridiculous beyond belief.

My sentiments exactly.

Maybe our Great Black/White Father should call off the dogs - or else give back the adoption papers that the Crows gave him.

[Joe G]

What I don't understand is the government's priorities right now....with the AIG and Madoff scandals in everyone's faces, why are eagle feathers, which have no value to anyone other than Native people, such a big deal right now to anyone?

yes, they are an endangered species...but that was not due to
I read my permit and it says that eagle feathers can be passed on, or given, but never bought, sold, or bartered for.

This is just messed up. I'm not defending those who were stupid enough to poach those eagles...but raiding the homes and opening investigations on people who posess feathers, when there is so much other crap going on in this country, is just ridiculous beyond belief.

For SURE! The entire country going to hell without a hand basket, and this happens? focus, government, focus!

[Josiah]

My sentiments exactly.

Maybe our Great Black/White Father should call off the dogs - or else give back the adoption papers that the Crows gave him.

You know....
Makes me wonder if they gifted him a feather during the ceremony

Now that would be funny cause I could not imagine they would give him papers on the spot to cover the feather

FWS busting in the Whitehouse to bust the Prez
Now that would be funny
Hey it happend To Hillary Clinton when that lady was making dream catchers quite a few years ago actually made one with real feathers and gave it to Hillary Clinton
Funny stuff that is

[NorthofAda]

You know....
Makes me wonder if they gifted him a feather during the ceremony

Now that would be funny cause I could not imagine they would give him papers on the spot to cover the feather

FWS busting in the Whitehouse to bust the Prez
Now that would be funny
Hey it happend To Hillary Clinton when that lady was making dream catchers quite a few years ago actually made one with real feathers and gave it to Hillary Clinton
Funny stuff that is

That would be funny!

[Kakeeya]

My sentiments exactly.

Maybe our Great Black/White Father should call off the dogs - or else give back the adoption papers that the Crows gave him.

The fish and wildlife people had been watching those poachers for the last two years, way before Obama became our President. I know one of the guys that was caught and I feel bad for his family because prison life is going to be hard for him/them. One of my friends also was busted years ago for the same thing and he had a really hard time in prison.