Indians Win Rights on Protected Species

In a victory for Indian rights, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday that centuries-old treaties give tribal members the right to hunt protected species, including bald eagles, on reservation lands.

The ruling by the U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals said eagles and other protected birds may be killed to obtain their feathers and body parts for religious ceremonies but may not be sold.

The case was heard by eight of the nine appellate judges. The three dissenting judges said the rights of Indians to kill eagles was abrogated by federal laws protecting endangered species.

The case arose out of a two-year undercover investigation in which U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agents attempted to halt the killing and selling of protected birds.