Page 23 - Brookfield Zoo Chicago Annual_Report_2024
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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
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