Native American tribes have felt oppression and inequality since immigrants started moving to America. We, as America, have been trying to set wrongs to a right by passing grants and making some tribes wealthy. Now, with a recent grant passed Native American representatives have never been more relieved. The grant allows for tribes to kill bald eagles for religious purposes. The permit application was filed nearly four years ago by the Northern Arapaho Tribe in Wyoming and after strenuous review the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued it on March 9th. Last year, the tribe challenged the federal government for denying the application, saying it “unreasonably burdens the religious rights of tribal members”. The regional director for the Fish and Wildlife Service told CNN that they had made a case for why to take the bird from the wild. The issues were that 70 years ago the species was threatened with extinction, leading Congress to pass laws prohibiting killing, selling or possession of the bird. As of 2007 the bird was taken off of both the endangered and threatened list.
Holden, who is part of the Choetaw/Shickasaw tribe, put the situation in perspective by saying: “If someone ordered a bible or some religious artifact and they had to wait for a long time, how fair is that?” With his statement he is only calling for equality. The pursuit took them through a time in which Congress worried about the tribes killing off the bird. When it comes to a need in a religious practice, I feel like the government should have little say especially if the activities are not harming anyone or endangering anything that can be seen as precious or vital.
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/15/feds-grant-permit-to-kill-bald-eagles/
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