The Department of Justice won't give up its fight to prosecute a member of the Northern Arapaho Tribe who killed an eagle for religious purposes.

The U.S. Attorney in Wyoming filed a notice of appeal after charges were dismissed against Winslow Friday. The case would be taken to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Friday won a ruling [PDF] from U.S. District Judge William Downes, who said the federal government's eagle permitting process infringed on Native religious rights. It can take years for tribal members to receive eagle feathers and parts from the national repository, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has rarely, if ever, granted a permit to kill eagles.

Tribal leaders have hailed the decision. They say it should lead to a streamlining of the permiting program.

Get the Story:
Eagle-killing case stays alive (AP 11/13)
Indians praise ruling on eagles (AP 11/11)

Relevant Links:
National Eagle Repository - http://www.r6.fws.gov/law/le65.html

Related Stories:
Judge issues ruling in Arapaho eagle killing case (10/17)
Charges dismissed in Northern Arapaho eagle killing (10/9)
Prairie Island donates $500K to national eagle center (08/22)
Arizona man charged for having eagle feathers (07/26)
Arapaho man seeks dismissal of eagle shooting case (05/26)
More than 4,000 waiting for eagles, eagle parts (5/24)
Northern Arapaho Tribe argues for religious rights (5/23)
Federal agent goes undercover at powwow in Texas (03/31)
Eagle feather headdress turned over for investigation (03/02)
Bald eagle faces removal from endangered species list (02/14)
Eagle feather repository has just five employees (12/09)
Iowa Tribe receives $250K grant for eagle center (09/16)
Non-Indian eagle feather case returns to federal court (07/19)
Rosebud Sioux Tribe seeks probe into feather use (08/02)
DOI to pay Apache man $50K for seized feathers (04/12)
Eagle feather ruling leaves open questions (08/06)
Appeals court upholds eagle protection laws (1/17)
Man denies crime for selling artifacts (11/16)
Indian man convicted of eagle violations (10/29)
Court to rehear eagle protection cases (8/9)
Minn. man sentenced for eagle violation (5/31)
Man pleads guilty to selling artifacts (11/2)
Undercover sting nets sacred artifacts (10/02)
Govt works to protect artifacts (6/29)
Yahoo! removes auction (6/22)
Culture for Sale: Sitting Bull (6/20)
Culture for Sale: eBay (5/23)