PrairieNinja

The original incident seems to have occurred last week, and the followup
(below it) this past week:

<<<<

As you know, there are many things in our Native culture that are sacred to
us.

One is the circle we form when we do a pow wow. The things we do within the
circle are done with great respect and reverence.

Some of the objects we wear in our outfits are treated with great respect
and honor and we cherish the honor of having them. One such object is the eagle
feathers that have been passed on to us as a reminder of who we are as Native
people. We treat our Eagle Feathers with great respect and take care of them.

Well, this has been a battle from the beginning.

Today, the federal government controls who may have and who may not have
Eagle Feathers. It has set its rules and regulations that restrict us as Native
Americans from using them in a good and sacred way.

Well, in spite of a good pow wow, we have a big problem.

On Saturday afternoon, my brother-in-law was called outside the circle by
what he thought was a tourist with a question. It was a federal agent who
started to harass him and who eventually took his bustle away.

As this was happening, I came out and he started harassing me about my roach
feathers and told me - without showing proof - that he was a federal agent, and
to take my feathers off and give them to him.

I asked him four times to show me proof that he was a federal agent but in
the process he continued to harass me and threaten me. He told me 'I could do
this the easy way or the hard way'. He threatened to arrest me if I did not
give him my roach feathers.

After the fourth request, he showed me proof that he was a federal agent and
then demanded I give him my roach feathers.

I told him no and that as a Native American I had the right to wear these
feathers. He then demanded I prove I was Native American, which I did. Then he
proceeded to take away my brother-in-law's bustles. I turned to him and said he
could not take them because those were my feathers, which they were, and that I
had loaned them to him, which I had.

He told me that I did not have the right to lend my feathers to anyone and
that I was the only one who could legally use the feathers.

The argument continued and at the end he took the feathers with him and then
proceeded to enter the circle to harass other people. I tried to stop him with
the argument that this was our sacred gathering but by this time he was out to
prove a point and he barged into the pow wow and started to harass some of the
dancers and vendors.

He eventually left but with a set of bustles and roach feathers that I had
loaned to my brother in law. We will be meeting with him on Tuesday to argue
the point.

So I am asking you now to pray for me. I need to know you are behind me. I
am one man who will be facing the federal government on Tuesday or Wednesday. I
have a feeling that unless the Lord intervenes, this will be a long, drawn-out
battle.

Our tribal chairman will be sending an official complaint to the federal
office on Monday, and I have been advised to take this to the local news as
personal harassment and discrimination against our legal right to use these
feathers.

Pray that the Lord gives me wisdom to say and do the right thing when we do
meet. If ever I needed your prayers and support it is now. I will keep you
updated as things develop.

This has not been the first time we have been harassed, but this is the
first time they have taken feathers away from me. The bustle that was taken was
made out of feathers that were given to me back in 1970, and the roach feathers
were given to me by an Indian lady who I helped through the dying process of
cancer about ten years ago.

God bless.

Robert Soto Lipan Apache Warrior for Jesus

------------------

Robert has met with the feds along with his lawyer and found out that the
Federal Government will not allow anyone, state recognized tribes or federally
recognized tribes to have eagle feathers UNLESS they are issued to the person BY
the Federal Government. The US Bureau of Indian Affairs has set themselves up
as God. Feathers are earned and given to us by the Creator or by elders, or
others within our people. The US Government has now taken away our religious
freedom, given to us by the Native American Religious Freedom Act of 1978.



Chester W. McVay

Lakota/Cherokee

turtleclaninc

Sekoh ........i know Robert ..very well over 15 years. have danced with him and his family. what happened in San Antonio was a push from feds on the growing problem of non Indians possessing feathers and parts not only eagle but all protected birds. Its sad the man got caught up in the frey. On the other hand thank god the feds are cracking down. seen way too many people here in texas selling feathers ..hope they bust every one of em ...The jist of it was 15 20 years ago you would get punched for calling a hispanic here in texas a native or indio ..I guess it came from the High Spain mentality.of old. now the same people claim native heritage....welcome home .EH.. and now dominate the pow-wows in Texas The laws were Written to protect the animals from extinction. OK..enough said bout that. Native People ...Our elders had admmenments written and passed in to law On the Native American religious Freedom Act allowing natives to use these sacred items in cerimony. Set guide lies were established by INDIAN PEOPLE (not saying its all fairly run) I applied for my first eagle after filling out paperwork and it took two years. since iv'e applied and recieved 2 more birds.I CARRY MY PERMITS and CDIB card to all pow-wows as do my children and Grands ,as required by Federal LAw And THE ELDERS who set the guide lines ...Been checked several times and NEVER hassled. Nor has anyone else I know who is legit. I don't agree with all aspects of the law. But IT is the Law. i have woked with the feds out of San Antonio (district Headquarters) on NAGPRA issues and have nothing but praise for JEff JAMALL director at that time and staff so all i can say is apply for your permits and carry them as do the rest of us.. not a problem
onen.

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In Search of the Elusive Government Cheese

billyjoejimbob

As long as people kill and dump eagle carcasses and as long as NDNs are selling their feathers, the governement will be there enforcing the laws.

Geez, I sound like a fed.

But hey, its true. The waiting list for eagles is supposedly 2+ years long and your lucky if you get matching sets! how do some of these dancers get and wear like 100 feathers on their outfits? People you have never seen before just show up with a killer outfit? And you can say that they are family feather passed down, but I dont believe it, I have seen old feathers and can tell the difference between old and new. A lot of these dancers have feathers that look like they were plucked yesterday.

Migiziwomen

there was another post on here not that long ago on this exact mailing, if you are interested you should search it there was some interesting things posted on there that you might find helpful or informative.

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turtleclaninc

But hey, its true. The waiting list for eagles is supposedly 2+ years long and your lucky if you get matching sets!

you are 100% correct ...my first call to the bus station was bittersweet. no plumes 2 left wings and a handfull of assorted feathers. still i was elated none the less..all birds and parts found dead ,confiscated or turned in are sent to the Eagle depository kept frozen and issued in order of recipt.. or so claimed

i hope The feds bust the Indian hobbiest orgs next ohhhh dang ...some of the people already busted at other Pow-Wows were hobbiests...hmmm maybe on a grander scale all the way to thier National Pow-wow

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In Search of the Elusive Government Cheese

traddancer2021

If u already had the meeting...how did it go? I;m glad I read your story...my dad and other people have told me they were out looking.....they told me to keep my tribal i.d. and all of my feather paper work for every feather in my dance bag or somewhere eay to get to.....they were saying that there was a pow-wow in which the feds were accusing some people of being mexican....lol.....i don't know...but thank you...and I am praying for you.....please let us know how everything worked out!