Golden eagles at the Navajo Zoo and Botanical Park in Window Rock, Arizona. Photo from Navajo Zoo and Botanical Park
The Navajo Nation is making it easier for tribal member to obtain eagle feathers. Tribal members can ask the National Eagle Repository for feathers. But the process takes years and the feathers come from dead eagles. In contrast, the Navajo Zoo and Botanical Park can process applications within a matter of weeks. The feathers come from the four live golden eagles kept at the facility. “That’s not a lot of feathers to be able to supply the whole Navajo Nation with the necessary needs for eagle feathers,” coordinator David Makisic told Cronkite News. “But, we are making an attempt to provide those feathers to the people that need them the most.” The tribe's eagle feather program takes place under permits issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Outgoing President Ben Shelly and his wife are among those who have been able to acquire feathers from the zoo. The zoo is located in Window Rock, Arizona, the capital of the Navajo Nation. Get the Story:
Navajo zoo receives permit to provide protected eagle feathers (Cronkite News 4/30)
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