BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) – America’s golden eagles face increasing threats from a black market for feathers used in Native American powwows and other ceremonies, according to wildlife officials, researchers and tribal members. It is said that they are doing so.
The government’s response has been two-pronged, combining a crackdown on organizations illegally trafficking dead eagles and a long-standing program to legally distribute eagle feathers and feather parts to tribal members.
But the program has years of unresolved issues, and officials say it targets young golden eagles in particular because of the high value placed on their white and black wing feathers. , says illegal killings appear to be getting worse. Golden eagles are federally protected but not considered an endangered species, but they already face pressures from poisoning, climate change and wind turbines that kill them in collisions.
Poachers are taking advantage of the high demand for eagle feathers, which are considered sacred among Native Americans.
An investigation centered on an Indian reservation in Montana recently resulted in the first conviction. A Washington man has been charged along with other suspects with killing thousands of birds, including at least 118 bald and golden eagles, and selling their parts inside and outside the United States.
He faces several years in prison at Thursday’s sentencing and could be ordered to pay up to $777,250 in restitution in a rare prosecutorial glimpse into the black market.
In a separate operation involving undercover agents, 150 golden and bald eagles were recovered over the past decade, 35 defendants were charged with wildlife violations, and 31 were sentenced, according to court records and federal officials. received.
Matthew Brown/Associated Press
Perry Lilly, a member of the Nakota tribe, said many of the feathers in her regalia were either gifts from her or from dead eagles she found along the fence. A man poses for a photo with an eagle feather fan and a short cane with eagle legs during a powwow on April 6, 2024 at Montana State University Billings in Billings, Montana. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown)
Perry Lilly, a member of the Nakota Nation in northern Montana, attends many powwows a year and says he has been invited to buy eagle feathers. He said illegal shooting is “absolutely wrong,” but sympathized with tribesmen who don’t want to wait years for eagle parts.
Eagle feathers are woven into Native American culture. In addition to powwow regalia, it is also given to high school graduates, used at weddings, and buried with the dead.
Harnessing Indigenous Traditions
A government repository in Colorado provides dead eagles and their parts free of charge to tribal members, and is always accepting orders for individual feathers, such as for graduates. But even though powwows have become more elaborate and competitive, they still can’t meet the demand for eagle wings, tails, and whole birds.
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Exterior view of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Eagle Refuge on March 8, 2024 in Commerce City, Colorado. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown)
This leaves room for criminals to exploit Native Americans who try to protect their traditions.
“The amount of prize money that can be won at powwows has increased significantly over the past 10 years, which has increased some of the demand,” said Ed Grace, director of law enforcement for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “When the price of feathers increases, people…become opportunistic and think they can make a lot of money in a relatively short period of time by poaching eagles for the feather trade.”
At a recent powwow in Billings, eagle feathers were on full display, dozens of Native Americans decked out in feathers paraded through the university’s fieldhouse, and a dance competition began. Their feet moved to the beat of the drum, and the rhythmic sound was periodically interrupted by high-pitched singing.
The woman carried a fan made of eagle feathers. The man wore a headdress of eagle feathers and bounced back and forth as he danced.
Leading the procession was a man holding a staff with an eagle’s head on it. Behind him were tribal elders, including Deputy Kenneth Sr. from the nearby Crow Indian Reservation.
Around his waist was an ornament strung with eagle feathers, and he carried a short wooden stick carved into the head of a bald eagle, from which hung a single feather.
For the agent, feathers mean strength and provide protection.
“Feathers are very important,” he said. “I’m 72 years old, but once I put this on, I’m ready to rock and roll. … All that power comes back to me, so I’m ready to go out there and boogie woogie.” ”
Bill Felker, a member of the Comanche Nation, has a different take on powwows. More spectacle than spirituality, some of the feathers can be purchased online, but the eagle parts can cost hundreds of dollars.
Not all powwows have cash prizes.
‘Serial murders’ in Montana
In the ongoing Montana poaching case, the defendant and an accomplice are said to have killed about 3,600 birds, including golden and bald eagles, in what one defendant called a “murder spree.” Prosecutors said the killings began in 2009 and continued into 2021 on the Flathead Reservation, home to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai tribes.
Such investigations require many resources and can take years, Grace said. That’s difficult to maintain for a government agency that averages about three law enforcement officers per state.
Matthew Brown/Associated Press
Beadwork depicting a bald eagle is worn by Perry Lilly, a member of the Nakota tribe. Many of the feathers in his regalia were gifts to him or came from dead eagles he found along the fence. Participating in a grand powwow entrance at Montana State University Billings. April 6, 2024 in Billings, Montana. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown)
The incident involving 150 dead eagles spread across multiple states, including two pawnshops in South Dakota, and bird parts were bought and sold in Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, Wyoming and other states.
“Nearly all of the information we receive regarding eagle trafficking comes from Native Americans, tribes, and the general public,” Grace said. “And we’re going to look at that information and go after particularly large human trafficking groups.”
Illegal shooting is the leading cause of eagle deaths, according to a recent government study. The disputed Montana case comes from an area with the highest concentration of eagles and other raptors in the western United States.
Online postings by people illegally selling eagle feathers are relatively easy to find on Internet marketplaces.
“The greatest atrocity in Indian country today is the powwow, but not everyone says it out loud, because everyone is Because I’m going to participate.”
eagles on ice
Voelker’s is one of two non-federal feather repositories in the United States. Most of the dead eagles, parts and feathers received by tribal members come from the Wildlife Service’s National Eagle Repository.
Wildlife technicians recently removed a chilled eagle carcass from a box inside the service’s warehouse-sized building at a nature preserve outside Denver.
He spread the wings, fanned the tail, examined the feathers, then carefully cut off the tail with a knife and the wings and legs with garden shears. The pieces were placed in separate plastic bags, packaged and mailed to tribal members across the United States.
The vault holds 3,500 bald and golden eagle carcasses each year from state wildlife departments, bird rehabilitation facilities, zoos and other sources. Each year, we receive thousands of requests from tribal members for feathers, whole eagles, and parts.
Avian influenza has delayed the processing of birds at storage facilities. To prevent the spread of infection, each eagle will now need to be tested.
The longest backlog of requests is for young golden eagles.
Dry erase boards in the processing area showed that demand far exceeded supply. There were 1,242 requests pending for whole immature golden eagles, with only 17 available. Over 600 requests for wings. 40 pieces available. Approximately 450 fish were requested. 17 pieces available.
Matthew Brown/Associated Press
An eagle feather is preserved by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service personnel at the National Eagle Repository in Commerce City, Colorado, on March 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown)
This repository is currently fulfilling requests for immature golden eagles created in 2013. The wait time for bald eagles and parts can be up to two years.
Lilly, a Nakota member, said many of the feathers on his regalia were either gifts to him or came from dead eagles he found along the fence where he appeared to have been shot.
He also received a golden eagle from a government storage facility several years after applying for one.
Lily recalled her excitement when the package arrived with a bird in dry ice.
“I had to have someone show me how to pluck it, how to remove the feathers, tail feathers, claws, head, etc.,” he says.
One of the bird’s legs is attached to a short cane that Lily wields during her powwow dance. The wings are fan-shaped.
“For dancers, it gets pretty hot when you’re outside, so it’s like an air conditioner, a fan,” he said.
