SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - An appeals court has ruled that only federally recognized American Indian tribes may use eagle parts and feathers in religious ceremonies.
The Denver-based U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday credited a lower court for trying to sort out the matter but decided federal law still prohibits non-Indians from possessing eagle feathers - and that does not violate religious freedoms.
The ruling comes after several cases in which non-Indians sought the right to use feathers in their religious practices.
Those cases were filed in Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico and Utah, where a man was charged with possessing 141 eagle feathers without a permit.
All cases weighed freedom of religion against the government's ability to protect the eagles.
Eagle feathers are believed to be sacred among many Native Americans.
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Court: Eagle feathers only for American Indians
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