On March 10, one day short of the 9th anniversary of the federal agents raiding his family’s native gathering, 42 of eagle feathers taken in that raid were returned to Robert Soto. Soto, who pastors the Grace Brethren Church in McAllen, Tex., says, “This is only a battle but the war will continue until change is done and our Indian people are set free from the unjust treatments of the federal government.” A story in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal reported on the event. A portion of the story appears below. Click here to read the complete article (subscription required).
Regulators of a Feather
Gumshoes at Fish and Wildlife go after Indian headdresses.
This week, nine years after a federal agent infiltrated a religious ceremony to seize an American Indian tribe’s sacred objects, pastor Robert Soto finally got his feathers back. But the feds are still threatening civil and criminal penalties against Mr. Soto if he shares his feathers with anyone. And the government intends to seize them again upon his death. In the annals of government abuse, the federal “Operation Powwow” is one for the ages.
As long ago as 2005 gumshoes from the Interior Department’s Fish and Wildlife…
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