Going along with the "Feathers Returned" story on the Native News, I would like to add another story of how the Federal Government in the US has treated the First Peoples over feathers.
When I was still living in the states in the 90's, a 65 year old Native American Elder found a road killed red tailed hawk. It was very badly mangled indeed, but this Elder prayed over the bird and gave it honour in the older traditional way of his people. He then preceded to pick it up in a respectful and loving way and took it back to his home.
This Elder still at his age, danced in the arenas at multi-functions of his people and at pow-wows in surrounding states. He was well known as: ta wo da and very loved among the Native circles.
Ta wo da means: "Hawk" in the Tsa La Gi (Cherokee) language by the way..
Elder Hawk took what was left of the red tailed hawk, plucked what feathers he could salvage. He gently cleaned by hand one by one the blood-soaked feathers, put them in the sun to dry.
Then he removed the tail section and cleaned all the meat from it so it could also be dried out to be used.
Next the head was gently cleaned and surprisingly was able to salvage whole. Elder Hawk was so excited that he could use this also on his project at hand.
Next, the feet was what he wanted to salvage if possible.. to his disappointment the right foot was one of the mangled messes..BUT! Hawk came up with an idea to save even it! he placed the mangled foot as if it was poised to pick up something in its talons like when it was live, along with the good one.
The rest of the carcass was placed carefully and respectfully in a tobacco, sage and sweet grass resting place.
There was a special Veteran's Day pow wow coming up within about 6 weeks, Elder Hawk always attended it every year for over 12 years.
Now, within this time till pow wow, Elder Hawk was not seen nor really heard from except to see him going to the grocery store for his coffee and food. He purposely asked everyone to not call or visit him, and he would see everyone at pow wow...
Pow wow time came and it was getting time for the first Grand Entry of all dancers, and the men always went first!
Everyone who knew him was in a panic! two minutes before the Grand Entry Hawk arrived!
OMG! The dance bussel he arrived wearing was such a sight to behold! It was such a breath-taking piece of love and art combined!
The refurbished and spectacular hawk that I and others personally witnessed, that looked like a tangled piece of flesh and blooded feathers became a dancers pride indeed!
He as the beloved Elder he was, entered that arena with utmost humbleness for such a gift that had been bestowed upon his person. From his heart of true honour and respect he gave that hawk, in its suffering of the way it had died, that red-tailed hawk even in death gave back that love to an Elder, who showed it the greatest honour and respect.
Now this story leads up to the next part..
On the last day of the three day pow wow, everyone had the best memories and time of what took place among families and friends and of course all the new people met there.
Like a black and ominous storm brewing in the distance came the Fed's..
They began at the gate and worked every inch of the grounds spreading that dark cloud.
Every one of the dancers male or female, adult and even child who wore any kind of feather real or fake, was carded for their Federal Indian card! And Feathers and dance bussels and part of peoples Regalia was confiscated right then and there! Some of the feather were passed down from generation to generation, and no way to account where they were harvested come on..
This was one of the so called "lawful" reasons to do what they did.
There was a mad rush when they were first spotted, to get Elder Hawk's dance bussel hid! one of the other dancers had him take off his bussel and allow him to head towards his car to remove it from the grounds and the Feds.
Unfortunately, a Fed was stationed in the parking lot of the where the dancers parked. He spotted the dancer with the hawk bussel.. The Fed asked him if that bussel was his and Elder Hawk spoke up before his friend spoke..he told the Fed agent it was his and he was asked for his card which (he did have one) and showed the agent.
That still was not enough! he preceded to demand the proof of where the hawk was harvested and the paperwork with its registration number for the carcass.
Elder Hawk, and several of us told the Fed it was a road kill that was salvaged to make the dancer bussel.
The Fed would not believe us and took the bussel and handed Elder Hawk a document to appear in court.
The Fed said there would be a possibility that he could be charged for possession of illegal feathers which was a $5,000 fine and possible jail time.
Well as Paul Harvey use to say.."And here is the rest of the story"..
The day of court came. There was 15 of us surrounded Elder Hawk in love and support.
Elder Hawk at this point and time was sooooo furious and hurt that we almost did not get him into the court room!
He turned around and bolted from us several times while we waited to go into the court room..
Our turn came and we was called up before the judge. The Judge asked if he had some one to represent him and Elder said " The Creator of all represents me as a human being"
The Judge did not look up and never showed anything of emotion, but only a raised Spock-like eyebrow.
Then he read the charges brought forth by the Feds..He asked for the dance bussel to be brought forward and laid on his desk. Because of the mis-handling and no care attitude of the ones who had handled it after it was taken, it was not in the best of shape as it had been at the pow wow.
The Judge asked Elder Hawk if he had fashioned the bussel himself..Elder Hawk replied: "Yes your honour me and my ancestors working through my hands and mind, showed me how I should do it."
Again the Judge did not look up, and again another raised eyebrow in Spock fashion as he just stared at the red-tailed hawk feathers.
The Judge began to run his fingers over the feathers smoothing out where they had been ruffled and somewhat crimped by the mishandling. He lifted the bussel up to look at the carefully mounted head.
He looked then at the tail section that had been spread as gloriously in place like a peacock's plumage.
He laid the bussel so gently back down on his desk.. He called the Federal agents involved to stand in front of him. THEN he finally looked up and glared at the officers!
The judge asked for confirmation if they were the ones going around to the pow wow function specially on Veterans day at such and such place, date such and such .. The officers replied together in unison.. "Yes your Honour"
Well what happened then would have dropped anyone's jaw!
The Judge stood up! and as protocol dictates so did the whole court room!
He looked at the Fed officers and pointed his gavel straight at them and here is what he said..
"I have been a Judge for 27 years, and never in all my days have I seen such hiding behind authority and badges for mis-use of law. By bullying a race of people who above all on this Earth should NEVER be questioned or imposed upon by outsiders like you and other people. These fine nobal and proud honest people who show more respect and honour in their little fingers, to humans and animals alike than any other race. Have more right to keep things like this, than you have a right to take another breath!
How dare you and others like you, come to my courtroom with this gross injustice of accusing an old man who created such a thing of utmost beauty and perfection. He should be honoured as any artist and skill shown in this piece of work! This is History we may NEVER see again in our time! I tell you this, do not come back into my court room again, with a case before me anywhere close to this again! Do You Understand me?"
The Feds officers replied: "Yes your Honour"
The Judge then waved them out of his courtroom, with these parting words.. "Officers make sure to forewarn the rest of the Federal agents, I will be contacting them on these proceedings here today!"
Last but not least, the Judge looked at Elder Hawk then at all of us.. "As for you good people, I humbly apologise for the hardships my people have put upon yours all these years past and present. I say to you upon my honour as what I am suppose to represent of my people for the law, I will advocate my time on this bench and off to see that justice will be made right. That I will see your people give back what belongs to you. Please Mr. Hawk take this back and wear it as it was meant to be worn, and I will today decree as of this day, no more confiscation of family feathers or "Road-Kill" feathers and the word of someone like you and your people will not be doubted again. As long as they are used for your spiritual beliefs and for functions such as pow wows only. Case dismissed!"
The Judge sat down and we all looked at each other in shock and amazement as to what to do next..
leave or sit or stand there. The Judge waved us out by a nod of his head.
I swear we all felt we had been standing in time that had been stopped! and that whole space of time was meant for all eternity just for us and the ancestors who had gone before us!
ShaunaSay WhiteFeather
