High in the sky, birds use their feathers to fly. Down on the ground, feathers are an important part of the of many Peoples in North America. But these feathers are at risk. One group helps protect birds and the traditions of Indigenous peoples.
In the United States, it is against the law to take bird feathers from nature. This law helps protect birds from being killed for their feathers. But the law meant that there was nowhere for Native Americans to get bird feathers. This was a problem.
A group called the Liberty Wildlife Non-Eagle Feather Repository (LWNEFR) was created to solve that problem. Robert Mesta leads that group. He is a Native American bird expert. “There is nothing more important to a Native American than a feather,” Mesta told News-O-Matic. “It’s the foundation of Native American cultures.”
The Liberty Wildlife repository wanted to get feathers to Native Americans. So, in 2007, experts with the project started talking to the U.S. government. The Liberty Wildlife repository made an agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2010.
The Fish and Wildlife Service is in charge of protecting U.S. animals. The agreement meant Liberty Wildlife could give out feathers to Native Americans.
Feathers are there for “the full cycle of life,” Mesta added. He said that for many Native American groups, feathers are part of . Feathers celebrate birth, growing up, and marriage. Feathers are also often used in Native American ceremonial clothing.
Where do Liberty Wildlife’s feathers come from? A part of the group takes care of sick or injured birds, and gives some of their feathers away. But the feathers are also sent in by lots of different groups around the country. “We get them from museums, zoos, and veterinarians,” Mesta said. Government groups also send in feathers.
Helping birds and Native Americans is important to Mesta. He gave two reasons why the LWNEFR matters. First, it provides feathers for Native Americans to use for their cultural ceremonies, clothing, and objects. It also keeps birds safe.
“Every year thousands of birds are taken out of the wild and sold illegally,” Mesta said. The Liberty Wildlife repository is a free and legal place to find feathers. Mesta explained that if Native Americans come to his group for feathers, then people won’t make money from selling birds illegally.
Mesta said this mission makes this project special. He explained, “It has both a cultural and a focus.”
Updated November 10, 2023, 5:02 P.M. (ET)
By Hannah Marcum
