"Q: Why hasn’t the point been made that it is illegal to possess eagle feathers unless they are given by the government? — C.W., Fayetteville

A: You’re mostly right.

Federal law restricts possession of eagle feathers — or any part of the bird — to certified members of federally recognized Native American tribes.

The law also prohibits Native Americans from collecting the feathers (or other parts) on their own.

Instead, they must apply to the National Eagle Repository in Denver. The repository collects dead eagles and redistributes them or their parts to qualified applicants.

There’s one more way that a qualified Native American can obtain eagle feathers — by being given the feathers by another Native American (who obtained them legally).

The law permits Native Americans to bequeath feathers to their children or family members (as long as they’re also certified members of a federally recognized Native American tribe).

And one qualified Native American may give the feathers to another qualified Native American for religious purposes."

Get the Story:
Live Wire consumer column: Feathers can be bequeathed to children (The Fayetteville Observer 6/18)

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