The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has given the OK for an American Indian tribe to kill two bald eagles for religious purposes.
The decision comes after the Northern Arapaho Tribe in Wyoming filed a federal lawsuit alleging that the agency‘s refusal to allow them to do so was a violation of tribal members’ religious freedom, the Associated Press reported.
While no longer on the federal list of endangered or threatened species, federal law prohibits the killing of bald eagles under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. American Indians are able to apply for eagle feathers or carcases to use in their ceremonies from a federal repository. They can apply for permits to kill bald eagles as well, though such permission is incredibly rare.
According to the Associated Press, it’s been almost three years since the Arapaho tribe applied for such a permit, and a lawyer for the tribe said they believed it necessary to go to court in order to get one. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service granted the permit Friday.
7 comments:
This infuriates me. There are plenty of wildlife rehabs that have injured eagles that don't make it. There are certainly other ways to satisfy their needs instead of killing these beautiful birds. Sickening!
10:42 I agree wholeheartedly. As a matter of fact, when I watched a segment on Fox News this morning regarding this, I actually cried. This beautiful creature is a symbol for America and as you said, there are other ways to deal with this as the gentleman on Fox described, while holding a beautiful eagle on his arm.
Saddens me.
Why should they "need" Government permission for anything?
these are natural natives of this land and they did this long before we white people came here and decided this bird was to be saved as a national treasure
@ 11:46 I'm glad someone else has some sense here and is not just an emotional butter ball.
I will NEVER understand why killing something would be pleasing to a god that created it. If your god is that powerful why doesn't he just kill it theirself, why does your god need your help.
I think it is fitting. It is a symbol of America. America is dying.
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