Protecting Golden Eagles

Eagle feathers & bones are used in Native American religious and cultural ceremonies, particularly in Sun Dances, sweat lodges and in the pipe fast. This need was the first step in a journey by Steve Weber – who maintains an indigenous purification lodge brought to his property 30 years ago. A lodge for people of all color skin.
In the spring of 1995, Steve was approached in a ceremonial manner through the customary means of being offered tobacco. His brother Chuck had just finished his 4-year training and been given the rights to run lodge ceremony. A native elder, George Moving Cloud, was also involved in discussions about establishing a lodge on Steve’s property. After thoughtful deliberation, Steve agreed.
Weber states, “This Lodge was established under Sun Dance and pipe fast protocols and methodologies of the Natokas & Latokas. We have rules to follow.”
Weber made a commitment to Sun Dance that summer. The need for an eagle bone whistle and a set of wing tips posed a problem. Finding the eagle parts necessary for Sun Dance and pipe fast ceremonies became a pressing need not just for Weber but for tribal members. Eagles not from the Federal Eagle Repository (known as ‘clean eagles’) were needed. Prayer and visions combined with counsel from neighboring tribes established their path. Strict religious protocols and procedures were established and followed successfully.
As Weber and other spiritual aspirants began collecting golden eagle carcasses, they meticulously documented their finds and became a repository of this knowledge. Their natural instincts and spiritual visions told them to look in the wintering grounds where they would expect to find some deceased eagles. But soon they began to uncover the many man-made perils which are endangering these majestic creatures.
As it turned out, the eagles weren’t the only ones in peril. Steve Weber is part of the Menominee tribe of Wisconsin, but not an enrolled member. Without having a tribal affiliation, he was ineligible to receive eagle components from the US Fish & Wildlife Repository. This made his collecting illegal. Eventually authorities arrived and Weber was charged with illegal possession. He mounted a defense of religious freedom and continued his ceremonies and collection efforts. Weber’s case was eventually dismissed.
In resolving the case, several ills were addressed. Power companies were ordered to provide avian protection to prevent the electrocution of birds by unprotected power lines. The Wyoming State Highway Department hastened to quickly clean up roadkill in an effort to protect scavenging eagles. Weber was named to head a commission to establish the procedures by which eagle bodies could be collected for ceremonial use. And diverse communities were brought together with the common goal of protecting golden eagle populations.

As Weber became familiar with the golden eagles, he had the good fortune to be able to nurse a young eagle back to health. His interaction with this live companion is told in the following video.

Weber describes how the lawsuit resulted in clear guidelines for collecting golden eagle parts for ceremonial use.

How the eagles should be collected, the ceremonies and prayers involved and even where to locate eagle carcasses came through consultations with various tribal elders, prayers and visions. These are described in this video.

This lawsuit is examined in this video