Robert Soto, pastor of the Grace Brethren Church, McAllen, Tex., and vice chairman of the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas, celebrated a settlement with the U.S. Department of Interior on Monday. Soto, a Native American dancer, had been seeking the return of eagle feathers that were confiscated in 2006 during a family powwow. Below is a portion of a story about the settlement from the Centre Daily Times, State College, Pa. Click here for the complete article.
Texas tribe wins 10-year fight over its use of eagle feathers
WASHINGTON — Ten years after a federal agent crashed a pow-wow of a Texas tribe and seized their ceremonial eagle feathers, the tribe has won a settlement that lets members keep the feathers – and get court costs paid, too.
“The fight wasn’t for the feathers,” said Robert Soto, vice chairman of the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas. “It was for the religious rights for Native peoples.”
When he and other members went to sign the settlement with the Interior Department Monday, they wore their feathers and had a celebratory dance with 150 people.
“I’m just excited,” said Soto of the settlement. “Sometimes I think I’m dreaming this. It meant a lot to me. All I want is the restoration of native rights.”
Click here for the complete article.