Zuni Eagle Sanctuary

Year

Responding to ceremonial needs for eagle feathers, in 1999, the Pueblo opened the first-ever Native American owned and operated eagle sanctuary. The award-winning facility provides a source of molted eagle feathers for Zuni while at the same time reviving the ancient practice of eagle husbandry. Today, the Sanctuary is home to 16 eagles — all of which are non-releasable, typically because of a permanent debilitating injury — which enables the Pueblo to distribute tens of thousands of feathers using tribal protocol. The Sanctuary also administers a community education program, a raptor care training program, and has strengthened Zuni’s ties with dozens of outside agencies.

Native Nations
Resource Type
Citation

"Zuni Eagle Sanctuary." Honoring Nations: 2002 Honoree. Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. Cambridge, Massachusetts. 2003. Report.

Permissions

This Honoring Nations report is featured on the Indigenous Governance Database with the permission of the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development.

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