There are many Tribes whose representatives serve as members on the Southwestern Bald Eagle Management Committee. Therefore, we found it befitting that the participating Tribes develop a section on this website that pertains to the cultural significance of Bald Eagles and the important role that Tribes play in managing this species. Although it is not possible to speak with one voice for all Native American Tribes in Arizona, most, if not all, have a very strong connection with eagles. It is believed by many Tribes that eagles deliver prayers and messages to the Creator. Eagles hold a necessary and vital role in virtually every aspect of Tribal healing and spiritual practices. Therefore, eagle feathers are central to many traditional dances and ceremonies. The feathers symbolize trust, honor, strength, wisdom, and power. To be given an eagle feather is the highest honor. For many, it is believed that if you find an eagle feather it was meant for you and only you; a special gift from above.
Because bald eagles are revered and considered sacred by Native Americans, many Tribes were actively conserving bald eagle populations long before they were listed as endangered, and have and will continue to do so even after the delisting of the species in 2007. Native Americans understand that everything is connected; when the Eagle is threatened, people are threatened too. Therefore, since time immemorial, bald eagle habitat was protected.
Conservation Actions
Through the SWBEMC and on their own, tribes have employed a number of conservation actions for bald eagles including participation in the Arizona Bald Eagle Nestwatch Program or hiring their own nestwatch teams, monitoring occupancy and reproductive performance of nests, maintaining nest closure areas and/or restricted access to lands, developing protective ordinances, installing monofilament recycling bins, treating nests to control parasites, rescuing injured eagles, planting cottonwood trees to restore habitat, installing artificial nesting platforms,
Feather Repositories
Eagle Feather Repositories
For hundreds of years, Native Americans have used eagle parts and feathers for religious and cultural purposes, including healing, marriage,
and naming ceremonies. Recognizing the significance of eagles to Native Americans, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service established the
National Eagle Repository in the early 1970s to provide Native Americans with the carcasses, parts and feathers of Golden and Bald eagles
for religious purposes.
Non-Eagle Feather Repositories
To request non-eagle feathers or parts, contact either of the two repositories participating in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Southwest Region program, or contact U.S. Wildlife and Wildlife Service's Region 2 Migratory Bird Permits Office, or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Native American Liaison.
For more information on how U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southwest Region works with Tribes, visit
http://www.fws.gov/southwest/NAL/
index.html
