Posted on 01/29/2007 11:59:21 AM PST by JZelle
An American Indian man who shot a bald eagle on a Wyoming Indian reservation has been charged under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. Winslow Friday, who says he shot the bird for use in a Northern Arapaho Indian religious ceremony, could face a $100,000 fine and up to a year in prison if convicted, the Chicago Tribune reported Monday. Friday, an oil-field worker, argues that the shooting should be protected his religious freedom.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
If that was the case then my "Ultra Liberal Hunting Church" would become very popular at election time...
Yesterday morning, my wife started yelling "Big Bird, Big Bird" while staring out the kitchen window. I ran and looked. A Golden Eagle swooped through the yard and landed on a neighbor's roof. Three crows flew in to harass the Eagle, but they chickened out, landing nearby and just stalking around it at a safe distance. The Eagle was so large that the crows looked like sparrows in comparison.
"An American Indian man who shot a bald eagle..."
Somehere in America a liberal's head just exploded.
Unrelated, but a cool eagle photo:
A Northern Arapaho.
He'd be from the Wind River Reservation.
As far as I know, Arapaho do use eagle fathers in certain ceremonies. However, they don't kill the bird. An eagle catcher lures the eagle close enough to snatch a feather.
Eagle catchers are born, not made.
What a sight!
Heh, good call.
The funniest part of that picture is the smaller bird on the right getting the heck out of there. Did the Eagle make it out of there with the coyote?
That's gonna leave a mark!
Man says eagle shooting was religious --> Tastes like chicken!
"You can practice religion the way you want anywhere else in the United States, and that was what I was trying to do, but I got in trouble for it," he told the Tribune. "I know I broke the law and all but I had no choice."
Bullcrap. Individual Indians can't just kill endangered critters in the name of their freedom to practice their religion. If a Medicine Man or other spiritual leader needs an eagle feather, there is a legitimate way of getting it through U.S. Wildlife, which has plenty of accidentally killed or confiscated illegally killed eagles.
Soon, Bald Eagles will be removed from the endangered list but there will never be an open season on them.
More like a mix between snail darter and spotted owl...
All laughter aside, the police should examine whether this Eagle killing was commercially motivated or spiritual.
This is the first time I have ever heard of a spiritual killing of an eagle with a gun. Generally it was done barehanded under a camoflauged staging with a dead dear or mountain goat as bait on top. The native Americans would reach up and grab the eagle by its legs and capture the eagle as it fed on the carcass.
I am somewhat skeptical for this reason.
I witnessed two red tail hawks fighting in midair. One had some sort of rodent in its talons and the other one wanted it. The screeching is what got my attention...they were so high up! It was fascinating to watch them!
And hey, a big northern NJ hello to you!
P.S. Crows also like to harrass owls. It's interesting to see an owl flying around in the woods during the day because the crows won't leave it alone!
Eagle feathers are very important in Native American rituals. I think this is entirely legit. Bald eagles are quite common here in Wyoming. It's time for this "crime" to be decriminalized, at least for the Injuns. (A Native American acquaintance of mine calls himself that! Hilarious!)
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