Dead eagles get new life with Michigan tribes, but bird flu extends wait

• Federal law allows members of recognized Native American tribes to apply for eagle parts and feathers for cultural purposes
• Avian flu outbreaks have slowed distribution in Michigan and other states due to safety and testing protocols
• Tribal members have to wait months or years to receive feathers and other eagle parts

For Native American tribes in Michigan, eagle feathers and other parts hold a deep spiritual meaning. But getting them to use in sacred ceremonies can take years — and a bird flu outbreak is making the wait even longer.

Officials say new procedures to limit the spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza are exacerbating existing backlogs at the National Eagle Repository, which distributes dead eagles to members of federally recognized Native American tribes through the US Fish & Wildlife Service. 

The government is only now getting to religious use permit requests from as far back as 2014, according to the latest federal waitlist. 

The bird flu has “definitely had an impact,” said Dustin Meshigaud, cultural history and language coordinator for the Hannahville Indian Community in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. 

Meshigaud has already been waiting five years to receive an immature bald eagle he requested from the national repository. His fiancée, who requested an adult golden eagle, has been waiting eight years. 

Eagles are held in high regard for many Native Americans, who use feathers for regalia, gifts and ceremonial purposes. 

“In our cultural beliefs, the eagle ... can travel the closest to the creator, closest to God,” said Allyn Cameron, cultural director of the Bay Mills Indian Community. “For us, the eagle is often the one that carries our prayers.”

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The deep spiritual connection to eagles is reflected not only in tribal traditions but also in the way eagle feathers are treated. 

“When we're fortunate enough to have an eagle come to our possession, there are times when we can use those feathers inside of ceremonies to help people,” Cameron said.  “It's a great honor to have them in your possession and to be gifted an eagle feather.”  

Bird flu takes toll

At least 18 eagles have died from avian influenza so far this year in Michigan. Another 16 suspected cases are awaiting test results and, if confirmed positive, could raise the total to 34. 

Though demand for eagles is high, birds positive for avian influenza are incinerated to decrease potential exposure to humans. 

If a dead eagle tests positive for bird flu, or if there are “not enough parts to test, then we can't send those birds off anywhere,” said Julie Melotti, wildlife pathologist for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. 

“If they’re negative …  then the whole bird gets either returned to the tribe or sent off to the repository,” she said. 

There have been ongoing bird flu outbreaks nationally in recent years, and dead animals who were infected are one of the main risk factors for transmission to humans, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As a result, the National Eagle Repository “got really backlogged because they were having to test all these birds” themselves, Melotti said. “And they get birds from the entire country.”

The spiritual significance of eagles is recognized in federal law, which generally protects the birds but allows tribal members to use feathers for ceremonial purposes.

Enrolled members of federally recognized tribes – including 12 in Michigan — can apply for a permit to receive eagle parts and feathers for cultural and religious purposes through the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. 

It takes longer for individuals to receive a whole bird, or a combination of parts like a set of wings and a whole tail. But the wait time is shorter for other parts or loose feathers. 

Most wild birds with bird flu are asymptomatic and show no obvious symptoms. But signs like low energy, reduced appetite, or sudden death with no warning can indicate an infection. 

More broadly, experts fear bird flu deaths will set back eagle recovery efforts by significantly reducing the number of mating pairs. 

“We’ve been able to monitor 350 pairs in the lower peninsula and then some of the UP populations and that’s how we could see this great impact,” said Bill Bowerman, a University of Maryland researcher who’s been studying eagles since the 1960s. 

“It would take us about three decades to recover from this.”