Page 23 - Brookfield Zoo Chicago Annual_Report_2024

Honoring Native Eagle Feather Collection New Land Acknowledgement
American Heritage Statement
When the Zoo’s bald eagles, Zeus
This year, our partnerships with and Charlie, shed feathers—which On November 23, 2024, Brookfield
local Indigenous communities naturally occurs periodically—the Zoo Chicago publicly unveiled its connect
and Native American organizations feathers are collected by animal Land Acknowledgement Statement
furthered our commitment to care specialists and donated to and new related commitments during
honoring the land the Zoo resides the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s a Native American Heritage Month
on. Particularly, our relationship (USFWS) National Eagle Repository. celebration hosted by the Zoo’s
with Midwest SOARRING, a local The repository accepts feathers and Education and Community
non-profit whose members other body parts of disease-free bald Engagement team.
represent many Indigenous and golden eagles for distribution
More than 100 individuals connected
tribes, gave Brookfield Zoo to Native Americans who have
Chicago many opportunities received a permit from the USFWS. to local Native American and
Indigenous groups participated
for cultural engagement: By law, no one else is allowed to
possess any part of an eagle’s body. in the celebration, including those
Blessing for Bison Judy from Midwest SOARRING Foundation,
Eagles are regarded with respect Trickster Cultural Center, Ketapanan
In August 2024, we made the difficult and reverence by many Native Kitchen, Center of Peruvian Arts,
decision to euthanize one of our American tribes. They use eagle and Huehuecoyotl. The Land
American bison, 24-year-old Judy, feathers and other eagle body Acknowledgement Statement
due to several ailments related parts for ceremonial purposes. and commitments were first read
to her advanced age. Prior to her The feathers are also bestowed aloud by representatives of Midwest
passing, we were grateful to welcome upon individuals in recognition SOARRING Foundation in Great Bear
representatives from the Midwest of an extraordinary achievement. Wilderness and at the Hamill Family
SOARRING Foundation for a Nature Plaza. The Zoo intends
ceremonial blessing of Judy. Harvest Pow-Wow
to host this event annually.
When Great Bear Wilderness opened
Staff members from our Education
in 2001, Indigenous tribal leaders Brookfield Zoo Chicago is
and Community Engagement team
provided a blessing ceremony especially grateful to our Native
participated in Midwest SOARRING’s
to welcome the bison to their new American collaborators, Midwest
Above: The sharing of the traditional Aztec Harvest Pow-Wow, connecting with
home, highlighting the reverence SOARRING Foundation and
dance and ceremony by Huehuecoyotl families through bio-facts and crafts
held for these amazing animals Trickster Cultural Center, for
that honored the “Turtle Island”
that once roamed North American providing guidance and feedback
story. They also engaged in
prairies in numbers approaching on the Land Acknowledgement
meaningful conversations with
60 million. The ceremony honoring Statement and commitments.
veterans, recognizing Native
Judy closed the circle of life and We will continue our work to put
Americans’ significant role
emphasized the importance our commitments into action
in military service.
of continued preservation of nature through programs, storytelling,
and wildlife. policy, and partnerships.

ANNUAL REPORT 2024 17