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Show Thursday, April 25, 1974 Oklahomans Charged in Illegal Sale of Protected Bird Feathers OKLAHOMA CITY. slaughter of migratory birds, including eagles, to procure feathers. Pipestem said the bulk of items seised were. hat ornaments consisting of swab sticks wrapped with yarn or thread, with ooe or two feathers attached. Pipestem said 200 to 800 hat ornaments could be made with the feathers of one bird. Pipestem said what might be involved would be an unknowing and untechnieal violation of unknown and obscure laws. He said the Oklahoma Indian community was shocked and dismayed by what's happened. One of the accused, Charlotte Doxtator, told AIPA that the FWS undercover agent presented an official business card to show her and other of the accused. She, owns the Red Tepee shop in Oklahoma City. She said the agent had purchased 50 shells from her, four dozen necklaces, and some head feathers. The agent then accused her of breaking the law and confiscated some eagle feather fens which were not for sale. Why did they single us Indians out? she asked. They picked out only Indian owners (of stores). Alan Levitt, spokesman for FWS in Washington, told AIPA that target of the Oklahoma investigation was the illegal feather traffic and not Indian people or the practice of traditional religions. He told AIPA the FWS was currently in the midst of a number of investigations across the country on the feather traffic. We are out to stop all traffic in eagle feathers, whether by museums, antique shops or pawnshops, and especially the larger commercial operations." Levitt said its the whos making all the money in this area, who sells to collectors and tourists who want antique Indian artifacts. People are willing to pay amounts of from $10,000 to $15,000 for those items." Leyitt said the FWS was aware that luxury items made from parts of animals on the endagered species lists were being sold in some of Okla.-(AIPA)-Fou- rtoen Indiana, together with 14 have been arraigned and with charged selling or offering for sale feathered ornamenta with feathers of non-Indian- a, protected birds," particularly eagle underfeathers, following a cover investigation by the U.8. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). All 14 Indians pleaded not guilty to charges during arraignment here in U.S. District Court Apr. 12. 8ome however, pleaded quQty on that date. If brought to trial and found guilty as charged, both the Indian and six-mon- th non-Indian- s, . individuals face a maximum of fine $500 and possibly six months in prison. of 1918 and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act of 1940, it is illegal "to buy, sell, barter, or trade in migratory non-Indi- an buds and their parte, iwimBug eagles." Summonses issued by the U.S. - RECEIVING PROMOTIONS During the past Math are Lssaard Self whs is the resort chef aad restaaraat manager sad Loya &wfe linB, relations duties for Gw resort. Mrs. Gardner was previously restaurant manager. y Two Named To Management Magistrates Office in Oklahoma City to all individuals were scattered across the state. The summonses were issued and signed for on the two days of Apr .3 and Apr.4. FWS Agent Vern Broyles of Oklahoma City told AIPA no system of informers had been developed by FWS, and that no money had been paid to any informers for ininformation . during the to the issuing of vestigation leading up summonses and search warrants. Search warrants were also issued, resulting in the seizure of about $45,000 in feathered in 16 goods bom Indians and towns and cities across the state. Ten FWS agents, some of them coming in from outside the state, made the seizures of 40,000 in feathered goods in 16 towns from Indians and and cities across the state. Ten FWS agents, some of them coining in from outride the state, made the seizures of 40,000 feathers in all the 16 towns, plus other Indian arts and crafts such as feathered ornaments, curios, hats ' and hat ornaments, and feathered fans. FWS Agent Broyles told AIPA no bonnets or religious items were seized, but one Indian defendant told AIPA peyote had been seized in at least one hand-deliver- ed . . Positions at Ute Resort Continued growth of the Bottle Hollow Resort has resulted in the ereation of two new management positions: Loya Gardner has been named Puhlie Relations and Sales Director and Leonard Self was appointed Restaurant Manager recently by Resort Manager Jim Ntier. In her new position Mrs. Gardner will serve as a laisou between the tribe and Bottle Hollow as well as handle communications between posppttiYC 40.4 former guests of the resort. In the future the new public relations director will be responsible Cot publicity about the resort and will represent the enterprise at meetings and conventions. Mrs. Gardner has been employed by the resort since it opened three years ago when she participated in the MDTA Training program. Employed at that time as a waitress, she has since held the positions of shift supervisor and restaurant service manager. chef. Mr. In addition to his duties services all restaurant will Self supervise in his new position. Mr. Self began his career at Bottle Hollow two and a half years ago as assistant chef. He was previously employed at the Prime Dona Restaurant in Reno, Nev. v six-mon- th non-India- non-India- ATTENTION! ns ns women and 10 FWS were: the by Charlotte Doxtator (Kiowa) and Ida Laura Jones (Kiowa), Oklahoma City; Milton Noel (Kiowa), Weatherford; Henry Bushy head (Cheyenne), El Reno; Si Hall (Kiowa) and Daisy McLaughlin (Cheyenne), Lawton; Dennis Tooahimpah (Comanche), Apache; Shalah Rice Row-ie- n (Shawnee) and Charles Rowell (Kiowa), Meers; Marvin Saddle Blanket (Hows), Cache; Sam Buffalo (Pones), Soiling; Joe .Rush (Ponca), Ponca City; Mariand; and James Clark (Ponca-OtoeLucius Aitson (Kiowa), Woodward. The means of establishing the charges against the 28 persons was direct purchase of the Indian items by undercover FWS agents--a means used in other parts of the nation as well by the FWS to establish evidence. Issues among Indians emerging from the surprise summonses were issues of possible entrapment by federal agents, the status of the treaty rights of Oklahoma Indians to hunt, and the right to practice tribal religions unhampered. Atty. Browning Pipestem (Otoe) who is representing four Indian defendants in the matter told AIPA that following The 14 non-Indi- the most prestigious stores in the investigacountry, and that large-scal- e Indians-fo- ur men-char- ged All Members Of The Ute Indian Tribe Now Living in Salt Lake City, " . ), Provo, Ogden, Murray or other nearby towns. Arrangements have been made to supply you with a Ute Tribal Identification card to. show that you are a member of the Ute Indian Tribe, Fort Duchesne, Utah. arraignment Apr. 12, both defense attorneys and prosecuting attorneys Please be at the Indian Recovery Center, 528 South.200 West, Salt Lake 1 or 2. Two tribal City, between the hours of noon and 5 p.m. May employees will be on hand to talce pictures and to prepare laminated I.D. cards for you at no cost. Please bring your social security card or number with you. would be provided a period of time to file motions before the court. The outcome of consideration of these motions, said Pipestem, would determine whether the accused individuals go to trial or not. Pipestem said it appeared the defendants, if brought to trial, would be tried . separately. Pipestem disputed FWS charges that Indians had been involved in large-scal- e an . tions in those areas were also underway. On Apr. 5, Interior Secretary Rogers Morton issued the following statement on the matter: First, regardless of who killed the bird or how long ago it waS killed, it is illegal for these items to enter commerce in any form. Secondly, the reason for prohibiting the sale, trade, or purchase of genuine antiques stems from the feet that any traffic in such items invariably puts pressure on living species in order to prolong and increase the commerce. Lastly, the prohibition of killing migratory birds, particularly eagles, in no way interferes with the American Indian religious ceremonial use of these animal parts. The Interior Department maintains a repository where the remains of all eagfes that are killed by accident or die naturally are stored for free distribution by permit to Indians who are practitioners of bona fide tribal religious ceremonies and scientific institution!. Colleges (continued from page 5) parents indifferent" to whether or not they attended college comprised only a slender 16 percent, and only seven percent of the students said their parents did not encourage them to pursue higher studies. Said the IERC report oh overall encouragement by Indian parents: An interesting and important finding of the survey was that while the educational level of (Indian) parents was considered to be low when compared to national parental levels of education, their ; ( aspirations for their children were exceptionally high. |
