[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 4, 1994)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 22953-22954]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-10885]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: May 4, 1994]
Editorial note: For the President's remarks to American
Indian and Native Alaska tribal leaders, see the Weekly
Compilation of Presidential Documents (vol. 30, issue
18)
Presidential Documents
Memorandum of April 29, 1994
Policy Concerning Distribution of Eagle Feathers
for Native American Religious Purposes
Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and
Agencies
Eagle feathers hold a sacred place in Native American
culture and religious practices. Because of the
feathers' significance to Native American heritage and
consistent with due respect for the government-to-
government relationship between the Federal and Native
American tribal governments, this Administration has
undertaken policy and procedural changes to facilitate
the collection and distribution of scarce eagle bodies
and parts for this purpose. This memorandum affirms and
formalizes executive branch policy to ensure that
progress begun on this important matter continues
across the executive branch.
Today, as part of an historic meeting with all
federally recognized tribal governments, I am directing
executive departments and agencies (hereafter
collectively ``agency'' or ``agencies'') to work
cooperatively with tribal governments and to reexamine
broadly their practices and procedures to seek
opportunities to accommodate Native American religious
practices to the fullest extent under the law.
As part of these efforts, agencies shall take steps to
improve their collection and transfer of eagle
carcasses and eagle body parts (``eagles'') for Native
American religious purposes. The success of this
initiative requires the participation, and is therefore
the responsibility, of all Federal land managing
agencies, not just those within the Department of the
Interior. I therefore direct each agency responsible
for managing Federal lands to diligently and
expeditiously recover salvageable eagles found on lands
under their jurisdiction and ensure that the eagles are
promptly shipped to the National Eagle Repository
(``Repository''). To assist agencies in this expanded
effort, the Secretary of the Interior shall issue
guidelines to all relevant agencies for the proper
shipment of eagles to the Repository. After receiving
these guidelines, agencies shall immediately adopt
policies, practices, and procedures necessary in
accordance with these guidelines to recover and
transfer eagles to the Repository promptly.
I support and encourage the initial steps taken by the
Department of the Interior to improve the distribution
of eagles for Native American religious purposes. In
particular, the Department of the Interior shall
continue to adopt policies and procedures and take
those actions necessary to:
(a) ensure the priority of distribution of eagles,
upon permit application, first for traditional Native
American religious purposes, to the extent permitted by
law, and then to other uses;
(b) simplify the eagle permit application process
quickly and to the greatest extent possible to help
achieve the objectives of this memorandum;
(c) minimize the delay and ensure respect and
dignity in the process of distributing eagles for
Native American religious purposes to the greatest
extent possible;
(d) expand efforts to involve Native American
tribes, organizations, and individuals in the
distribution process, both at the Repository and on
tribal lands, consistent with applicable laws;
(e) review means to ensure that adequate
refrigerated storage space is available to process the
eagles; and
(f) continue efforts to improve the Repository's
ability to facilitate the objectives of this
memorandum.
The Department of the Interior shall be responsible for
coordinating any interagency efforts to address
continuing executive branch actions necessary to
achieve the objectives of this memorandum.
We must continue to be committed to greater
intergovernmental communication and cooperation. In
addition to working more closely with tribal
governments, we must enlist the assistance of, and
cooperate with, State and local governments to achieve
the objectives of this memorandum. I therefore request
that the Department of the Interior work with State
fish and game agencies and other relevant State and
local authorities to facilitate the objectives of this
memorandum.
With commitment and cooperation by all of the agencies
in the executive branch and with tribal governments, I
am confident that we will be able to accomplish
meaningful progress in the distribution of eagles for
Native American religious purposes.
The Director of the Office of Management and Budget is
authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in
the Federal Register.
(Presidential Sig.)>
THE WHITE HOUSE,
Washington, April 29, 1994.
[FR Doc. 94-10885
Filed 5-2-94; 4:17 pm]
Billing code 3110-01-M
