A Federal Migratory Bird Eagle Parts and Feathers Request Form will authorize Native Americans to obtain eagle parts and feathers for religious and cultural purposes, including healing, marriage, and naming ceremonies from the National Eagle Repository. Recognizing the significance of eagles to Native Americans, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service established the National Eagle Repository (Repository) in the early 1970s to provide Native Americans with the remains, parts and feathers of Golden and Bald eagles for religious purposes.
Who Needs It
Permits can only be issued to enrolled members of federally recognized tribes. Individuals who cannot demonstrate enrollment in a federally recognized tribe cannot obtain a permit. Unfortunately, at this time, this includes Native Hawaiians.
In accordance with the 2012 Department of Justice interpretation of the Morton Policy, a permit is not required for an enrolled member of a federally recognized tribe when:
- 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 craftspeople who are members of federally recognized tribes to be fashioned into objects for eventual use in tribal religious or cultural activities. Although no compensation maybe provided and no charge made for such feathers or other bird parts, tribal craftspeople may be compensated for their labor in crafting such objects.
What is covered by this permit?
Native Americans may order from the Repository:
- Up to one whole Golden or Bald eagle or equivalent parts
- Loose feathers
- A pair of wings
- A whole tail
- A head, pair of talons, or trunk.
You many not order more of any part than is found on one whole eagle.
Process
Submit an Application
To submit an application online or through the mail, follow the instructions on our ePermits site.
Application Fee
- $0