Post by Moon Seeker on Jul 14, 2009 10:59:06 GMT -5
Decapitated eagle used in ceremony, Native Americans explain
posted by: TaRhonda Thomas 12 hrs ago
BOULDER - Darryll Pino had waited for four years to receive a deceased eagle from the National Eagle Repository. And when it arrived at his home he says he treated it with respect, burning sage and sweet grass as the eagle was carried into his doorway.
"It's a very sacred bird. But we don't worship the bird. We worship God," said Pino.
Native Americans use the birds in religious ceremonies. Pino is a member of the Navajo tribe.
"All of the feathers, from the plume to the talon, have meaning to us," Pino added, detailing how he and fellow Native Americans performed three ceremonies with the eagle, which had been decapitated and had its feathers removed in the sacred act.
However, when the deceased bird was discovered in Legion Park in Boulder around Memorial Day, some thought it was evidence of animal cruelty. That led officials with the Native American Rights Fund in Boulder to speak out.
"It caused a lot of heartache," said Donald Ragona, a member of the Mattinithingy Nation of New York.
He and other Native Americans say more people need to learn about American Indian Culture.
"It's not the community's fault for being ignorant about another culture's beliefs and ways," said Myron Pourier of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. "It is our job as native people of this country to educate you all."
Native Americans from across the country receive already-deceased bald eagles from the National Eagle Repository, which is located near Denver.
The federal organization gets more than 3,000 requests for eagles a year.
"To recognize the importance of this bird for Native Americans," said wildlife repository specialist Dennis Wiist, "This gives a way to secure the feathers (and bodies) they (Native Americans) need for their religious purposes and gives us a way to protect the birds."
The National Eagle Repository gets the birds from all over the country. People and law enforcement officers who find dead eagles often turn them in. The repository also receives eagles that have died in captivity.
In a press conference on Monday, Pino apologized to his Native American elders and expressed sadness over the removal of the eagle he used in his ceremony. He had wrapped it in a red cloth and placed it in a tree, since Native American culture prohibits ever burying an eagle or its feathers.
"It's the equivalent of us going to a Christian graveyard and stealing something off of it," said Pourier.
In the ceremonies he performed with his eagle, Pino says he offered up many prayers. Native Americans believe the eagle brings those prayers to their god.
He is disheartened that such an ancient tradition could be misunderstood.
"It's sad that we're in our own country where we're almost forgotten in our country," he said.
(Copyright KUSA*TV, All Rights Reserved)
www.9news.com/news/local/article.aspx?storyid=119391&catid=222
posted by: TaRhonda Thomas 12 hrs ago
BOULDER - Darryll Pino had waited for four years to receive a deceased eagle from the National Eagle Repository. And when it arrived at his home he says he treated it with respect, burning sage and sweet grass as the eagle was carried into his doorway.
"It's a very sacred bird. But we don't worship the bird. We worship God," said Pino.
Native Americans use the birds in religious ceremonies. Pino is a member of the Navajo tribe.
"All of the feathers, from the plume to the talon, have meaning to us," Pino added, detailing how he and fellow Native Americans performed three ceremonies with the eagle, which had been decapitated and had its feathers removed in the sacred act.
However, when the deceased bird was discovered in Legion Park in Boulder around Memorial Day, some thought it was evidence of animal cruelty. That led officials with the Native American Rights Fund in Boulder to speak out.
"It caused a lot of heartache," said Donald Ragona, a member of the Mattinithingy Nation of New York.
He and other Native Americans say more people need to learn about American Indian Culture.
"It's not the community's fault for being ignorant about another culture's beliefs and ways," said Myron Pourier of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. "It is our job as native people of this country to educate you all."
Native Americans from across the country receive already-deceased bald eagles from the National Eagle Repository, which is located near Denver.
The federal organization gets more than 3,000 requests for eagles a year.
"To recognize the importance of this bird for Native Americans," said wildlife repository specialist Dennis Wiist, "This gives a way to secure the feathers (and bodies) they (Native Americans) need for their religious purposes and gives us a way to protect the birds."
The National Eagle Repository gets the birds from all over the country. People and law enforcement officers who find dead eagles often turn them in. The repository also receives eagles that have died in captivity.
In a press conference on Monday, Pino apologized to his Native American elders and expressed sadness over the removal of the eagle he used in his ceremony. He had wrapped it in a red cloth and placed it in a tree, since Native American culture prohibits ever burying an eagle or its feathers.
"It's the equivalent of us going to a Christian graveyard and stealing something off of it," said Pourier.
In the ceremonies he performed with his eagle, Pino says he offered up many prayers. Native Americans believe the eagle brings those prayers to their god.
He is disheartened that such an ancient tradition could be misunderstood.
"It's sad that we're in our own country where we're almost forgotten in our country," he said.
(Copyright KUSA*TV, All Rights Reserved)
www.9news.com/news/local/article.aspx?storyid=119391&catid=222