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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2001

An attorney representing a Canadian Aboriginal man accused of smuggling eagles into the United States urged a federal jury on Tuesday to view the situation from the Indian perspective.

Since Native Americans must wait years to receive authorized eagle feathers and parts from the federal government, Terry Antoine was simply fulfilling a traditional need, said his attorney. Antoine, from the Salish First Nation in British Columbia, supplied eagle parts and feathers to tribes, the lawyer added.

But government prosecutors say Antoine's intent was strictly business, not cultural. They will call Antoine's former girlfriend to the stand to rebut the defense.

Antoine faces up to 9 years in prison and $45,000 in fines for violating bald and eagle protection laws that are the subject of legal challenges nationwide.

Get the Story:
B.C. man charged with illegally selling eagle feathers and bones (The Seattle Post-Intelligencer 10/24)

Relevant Links:
Eagle Feathers, BIA - http://www.doi.gov/bia/information/eaglepermit.htm
The Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle Protection Act - http://laws.fws.gov/lawsdigest/baldegl.html
Migratory Bird Treaty Act - http://www.usbr.gov/laws/mbta.html

Related Stories:
Canadian Indian faces eagle conviction (10/23)
Prison sentence for Alaska Native grave disturber (9/27)
Court to rehear eagle protection cases (8/9)
Minn. man sentenced for eagle violation (5/31)
Man pleads guilty to selling artifacts (11/2)

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