However, the U.S. Department of Justice has stated (Attorney General Memorandum, Oct. 12, 2012) that a member of a federally-recognized tribe engaged in the following activities will generally not be subject to federal prosecution (these provisions do not apply to eagle feathers):

• Possessing, using, wearing, or carrying federally-protected birds, bird feathers, or other bird parts;

• Traveling domestically with federally-protected birds, bird feathers, or other bird parts or, if tribal members obtain and comply with necessary permits, traveling internationally with such items;

• Acquiring from the wild, without compensation of any kind, naturally molted or fallen feathers of federally-protected birds, without molesting or disturbing such birds or their nests;

• Giving or loaning federally-protected birds or the feathers or other parts of such birds to other members of federally-recognized tribes, or exchanging federally-protected birds or the feathers or other parts of such birds with other members of federally-recognized tribes, without compensation of any kind;

• Providing the feathers or other parts of federally-protected birds to craftspersons who are members of federally-recognized tribes to be fashioned into objects for eventual use in tribal religious or cultural activities. Although no compensation may be provided and no charge made for such feathers or other bird parts, tribal craftspersons may be compensated for their labor in crafting such objects.

Sources for Eagle Feathers

Nez Perce Tribal members can obtain eagle feathers from two sources:

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s National Eagle Repository

Applications can be viewed and downloaded by clicking here. Page 3 of the application form will require completion by Nez Perce Tribe’s enrollment personnel, located in the NPTEC lobby. If you need assistance filling out the first or second page of this form or with its submittal, please contact the Wildlife Division at (208) 843-2162 or wildlife@nezperce.org.

Nez Perce Tribal Eagle Repository

The Nez Perce Tribal Eagle Repository was established in 2019 to help Nez Perce Tribal members obtain eagle feathers more quickly than through the National Repository. The availability of feathers through the Tribal Repository may be quite limited, however. This repository is maintained by DFRM’s Conservation Enforcement office. NPT members interested in obtaining eagle feathers from the Tribal Repository should contact Chief Adam Villavicencio at (208) 621-3528 or adamv@nezperce.org.

Sources for Non-Eagle Feathers

Sources for feathers from other species include:

Liberty Wildlife Non-Eagle Feather Repository

This repository is maintained by an Arizona-based organization, in partnership with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, to provide Tribal members a legal source of non-eagle feathers for religious and ceremonial purposes. More information can be found here.

Sia Essential Species Repository

This repository is maintained by the Comanche Nation Ethno-Ornithological Initiative to provide feathers for Native American religious purposes. More information can be found here.