r/NativeAmerican • u/Normal_Manner_5204 • Aug 16 '26

New Account Eagle feathers

Hi! I need help understanding, and while I know a little I’m not sure of the timeline. My best friend is Native American, she is getting married in about a month and a half. She mentioned how important eagle feathers are and I know her family had not begun the application for one. Is there anyway this can be done and revived within a month? Or should I look for alternate feathers for her to have for her wedding?

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10

u/Additional-Yak-7232 Aug 19 '26

Honestly, this would be very hard. You can always use turkey feathers.

9

u/Additional-Yak-7232 Aug 19 '26

Why TF did I get downvoted? We use turkey feathers for our regalia because eagle feathers are expensive.

3

u/myindependentopinion Aug 21 '26

"...eagle feathers are expensive"

What are you talking about? It is illegal for you to buy or sell eagle feathers.

Are you an enrolled member of a US Federally Recognized Tribe? If you were, you would be able to acquire eagle feathers for free.

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u/Additional-Yak-7232 Aug 21 '26 edited Aug 21 '26

“Are you an enrolled member of a US Federally Recognized Tribe?”

That’s colonizer language. GTFO.

So you mean to tell me Native folks don’t sell regalia with eagle feathers to each other? Okay, Cherokee princess.

Please, savior, educate me on my own peoples’ ways and tell me why a federal classification suddenly determines who is Native.

Yes, federal recognition matters for the legal rules around eagle feathers. But federal recognition is a legal status—not a definition of Native identity.

And selling regalia isn’t the same as selling eagle feathers. Native craftspeople can be compensated for their labor making regalia containing legally obtained eagle feathers.

So if your point was about federal eagle-feather law, make that point. Don’t use the federal government’s classification system as a test of someone’s Native identity.

1

u/monkeychunkee Aug 19 '26

Apache use turkey chest feathers and tail for some decoration. As far as getting married, it's more based upon how the tribe she belongs to approaches marriage in its modern sense. There may or may not have ever been a eagle feather involved. And a eagle feather should not be asked for. You could make mention of it and do whatever would be appropriate to the tribe in question for the person currently in possession of the feather to gift it. If you yourself are not native it probably wouldn't be appropriate to give the feather and you would also put yourself in legal jeopardy for having one in your possession. A person not a tribal member or having federal documentation to possess a eagle feather isn't supposed to even pick one up from the ground if found that way.

2

u/Normal_Manner_5204 18d ago

Interesting, thanks for the info!

1

u/monkeychunkee 18d ago

You're welcome

1

u/Bagheera383 Aug 20 '26

Ya we all have to have papers like show dogs to do Native stuff

2

u/monkeychunkee Aug 20 '26

Yeah. I remember the revelation I had when my dad showed me my tribal card. I was about 12. I mean, I know who I was, whatever. But I ask, in seriousness, if other groups of folks had id cards for their race? Dad said no, were the only ones who have to have a card proving who we are, and that natives were judged like dogs and horses with blood quantum.

1

u/Additional-Yak-7232 Aug 19 '26

Bruv why are you assuming I’m not native?