A Florida man who is a member of non-recognized tribe was sentenced to five years of probation and fined $5,000 for illegally possessing and trading eagle feathers.
Ed Winddancer, 51, says he is a member of the Nanticoke Tribe. He was arrested in Tennessee in 2005 for trading bald and golden eagle feathers with an undercover agent from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Winddancer sought to dismiss the charges, saying his rights under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act were violated by federal laws that protect eagles. A member of a non-recognized tribe from New Mexico won a case on similar grounds.
But a federal judge in Tennessee ruled in June 2006 that Winddancer failed to apply for a permit so he couldn't challenge the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The judge also said the government, under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, has a compelling interest to preserve eagles and the rights of federally recognized tribes.
Get the Story:Fla. man gets $5K fine, probation for trading bald eagle feathers (AP 3/18) Another Eagle Story:
U.S. forced to reassess Ariz. bald eagles (The Arizona Republic 3/18)
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