A bald eagle is processed at the National Eagle Repository in Colorado. Photo by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service via Wikipedia
The Northern Arapaho Tribe of Wyoming is declaring victory in a long-running religious rights case. After years of delays, the tribe secured a permit to take bald eagles but only outside of the boundaries of the Wind River Reservation. A federal judge later ruled that the condition -- which was imposed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service -- infringed on the tribe's religious rights. The Obama administration asked the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn the ruling. But the tribe said the Department of Justice has since dropped the case. "On behalf of the entire Northern Arapaho Business Council, we would like to thank our tribal elders who have taken the lead on this case to protect our most sacred ceremonies and the importance of the eagle to those ceremonies and our way of life," Chairman Dean Goggles said in a press release. "We could not have obtained this victory without their efforts and prayers, and we are grateful." Goggles expects a permit to be issued in the "next couple of months," according to the press release. The tribe plans to use eagle feathers and eagle parts for religious ceremonies, including the Sun Dance. The tribe shares the reservation with the Eastern Shoshone Tribe, whose leaders oppose the killing of eagles. Get the Story:
Fish and Wildlife drops legal challenge to eagle killings (AP 5/13)
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