Bald Eagle Killed Near Tucson - Info needed

[SouthwestSkeptic]

 

It’s been all over the media for the last two days that someone has killed a bald eagle in a most shameful way.  The body of a mutilated eagle was found near Gate’s Pass (North of Tucson proper).  Someone evidently killed the bird only for its tail feather and talons.  Authorities suspect it was a wannabe trying to lend credence to his/her pay-to-pray scam. Everyone in the California, Arizona, New Mexico , Colorado and Utah area, especially if you attend the more “Pan-NDN” pow wow, please be on the look-out for the person who committed this act of sacrilege. If you live in the South West, please keep watch for plastic medicine people using possession of illegal feathers and talons to shop-lift authenticity,  and you have some time to check out all the shops that cater to hobbists, that would also be helpful. 

There’s a $5,000 reward offered, but it’s more important to send a message to people who take short cuts and try to steal what should be earned that this behavior will not be tolerated in Indian Country.

Individuals with information about the case are urged to call Operation Game Thief at 1-800-352-0700, anonymously if need be, and reference OGT # 11-001867.
Information may also be provided on-line at http://www.azgfd.gov/ogt_form.shtml.



Links:

http://www.kold.com/story/16148579/reward-offered-in-dead-bald-eagle-case

http://www.kvoa.com/news/dead-bald-eagle-found-with-feathers-feet-removed/

http://www.fox11az.com/news/local/Arizona-Game-and-Fish-offers-reward-in-bald-eagle-killing-134681653.html



http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/news/local/tucson/apx-AZEagle-KilledReward_15263453-11302011

[SouthwestSkeptic]

NPR just announced that the ‘mystery’ of the dead bald eagle found near Tucson Mountain Park has been solved.  Fish and Wildlife is refusing to release a name, but they claim an individual with a federal permit obtained a dead eagle that died in an accident in Nebraska and was kept at the Federal bank in Denver, Colorado. This individual then transported the eagle to Tucson to conduct either a “healing, marriage or naming ceremony.”  It all sounds pretty fishy to me. A whole bunch of nons have been on the air all day insisting that everything is in order and Fish and Wildlife is asking people to let them know before they dispose of eagle carcasses. The carcass was found by hikers under a paper bag and covered with rocks near the parking lot of Tucson Mountain Park.

The whole explanation is very fishy to me. I can’t imagine why anyone with a legitimate purpose would need to do such a ritual in a public place, not use all of the bird and then dispose of it in such a careless manner where it was easily discovered and would have been found shortly by animals. This so-called ritual was done on Tohono O’odham lands, but no legitimate spiritual elder knows anything about such a ritual. No one local knows of anyone who should be doing anything like this. It seems more likely to me that some wannabe obtained a federal permit for the purpose of exploiting that eagle and the ritual story was just a cover. NPR and Fish & Wildlife is refusing to give the name of the individual who came forward with what was reported as a “valid permit”, but I don’t trust the media to determine what is or is not valid.

I believe the problem here is that someone has obtained a permit that shouldn’t have one. Please join me in contacting the South West Fish and Wildlife office and insisting that they investigate the authenticity of that permit.

If anyone knows of any ritual from another Nation that would be done in this manner please let me know any information you feel you can reveal.
Regional contacts for Region 2 Fish & Wildlife are here:

http://www.fws.gov/southwest/Directory/esdirectory.html

Tuscon Sub-Office
Supervisor: Sherry Barrett
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
201 N. Bonita Ave., Ste. 141
Tuscon, AZ 85745
Office: 520-670-6144
Fax: 520-670-6155
http://www.fws.gov/southwest/
es/arizona/