> Our people have been using every kind of feathers, nuts, shells, quills,
> bark, herb, etc in our regalia and in making gifts to give (and lately to
> sell at powwows) for thousands of years before the white man came here.
> Now the state of Pennsylvania quoting a 70 year old law said "...we say
> you can't have feathers from any migratory bird, quills, and certain furs
> (even from roadkills)" and they will check the powwows to enforce this law.
The following regards only eagle feathers and parts, yet it applies to the
problem above and to all Native Americans in general. Many may not know of
this. You need to know your rights.
Code of Federal Regulations, Title 50, Part 22 Section 22.22 (often referred
to simply as 50 CFR 22.22) Eagle Permits, Permits for Indian Religious
Purposes. This regulation permits the "taking, posesssion, and
transportation of bald or golden eagles, or their parts, nests, or eggs for
the religious use of Indians." Briefly, you must submit a completed
application form to the Department of Interior which provides basic
information (name, address, etc), as well as certification from the BIA that
you are "Indian" and a certification (usually just a signature on the form)
from a duly authorized official of the religious group that you are
authorized to participate in bona fide tribal religious ceremonies (defined
as ceremonial and/or cultural activities). The eagles or parts thereof
possessed under the permit you are issued are not transferable, except that
they may be "handed down from generation to generation or from one Indian to
another in accordance with tribal or religious customs". Permittees shall
make a report or submit inventories of eagle feathers or parts on hand as
may be requested (which means you need to keep a record of what you have and
what you have gifted to another). The permit to take eagles is good only for
one year. The permit to possess and transport is for the life of the
permittee unless revoked. An individual may possess up to the equivalent of
one eagle, which I believe is 50 feathers and may include other parts. The
application form is available from the National Eagle Repository of the
Department of Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service. The repository was in
Ashland, Oregon, but was moved to the southwest (New Mexico or Nevada??)
about two years ago. Call the Oregon number at (503) 482-4191 to request a
forwarding number. Then call that number and request an application package.
The package includes the required forms, basic rules, and a copy of both the
U.S. Code (the law, 16 USC 668-668c, Bald Eagle Protection Act) and the Code
of Federal Regulations (the regulations, citation given above) governing
this. I understand there are also similar regs governing other predatory
birds and some covering migratory birds, but I don't have information on
these at present.