Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Wednesday 3 april 2019
Agency collects animals killed by cars, poachers for tribes

By FELICIA FONSECA son, deer, antelope, and Alaska accommodates re-
Associated Press game birds like turkeys. quests for wildlife from Na-
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — The requests are specific, tive people on a case-by-
Arizona Native American so Cooley said the depart- case basis.
tribes on the hunt for ani- ment doesn’t want the The Native American Fish
mal hides, antlers, teeth public donating animals or and Wildlife Society floated
and other parts for cultural gathering them from the the idea at one of its con-
and religious use have a roadside. ferences of buying freezers
unique new resource: the “What we don’t want to for the Arizona Game and
state’s wildlife agency. become is a depot for Fish Department to store
A recently launched pro- dead critters. That’s not the animals and “everyone
gram allows Arizona’s near- intent,” Cooley said. was on board, everyone
ly two dozen tribes to make One thing Game and Fish was in support of it,” said
requests to the state Game employees won’t store is Darren Talayumptewa,
and Fish Department for bears that have been tran- who sits on the society’s
animals that have died quilized, because chemi- board of directors.
from poaching or natural cals could be in the fatty The society purchased four
causes, or after being hit by tissues and some tribes pre- freezers for Arizona.
a vehicle. fer not to take animals that “In the past, if the tribes
Agency game managers, have been drugged, Cool- had seen something dead,
researchers and other em- ey said. if it was roadkill, they would
ployees then keep an eye While the Navajo and Hopi try to see how they could
out for the carcasses as have been the biggest obtain it,” he said.
part of their regular work. beneficiaries so far, the “Back in the day ... there
“It’s all just opportunistic plan is to allow tribes in a was really no process for
collection of what we find broader area — including Native Americans obtain-
out in the field,” said the This May 26, 2018 photo provided by the Museum of Northern Southern California, Ne- ing various parts.”
department’s tribal liaison, Arizona shows a performance of a deer dance at the Zuni vada, Utah, Colorado and For Hopi, the carcasses al-
Jon Cooley, who grew up Festival of Arts and Culture in Flagstaff, Ariz. parts of Texas and Okla- low the tribe to honor the
on the Fort Apache reser- Associated Press homa — to draw from the animals, offering them up
vation in eastern Arizona. established shopping list of legally obtain eagle feath- repository if Arizona tribes in prayer.
So far, the program’s big- sorts, and better communi- ers. The Comanche Nation don’t need what’s there, “No part of the animal is
gest customers are the Na- cation with tribes and wild- in Oklahoma and a wildlife Cooley said. squandered or discarded,”
vajo Nation, which has col- life officials. rescue organization near The Arizona program ap- said Clayton Honyumpt-
lected bear and mule deer Native American tribes tra- Phoenix distribute feathers pears to be unique in the ewa, director of the tribe’s
carcasses, and the Hopi ditionally have made use of from hawks, falcons and West. States like New Mex- Department of Natural Re-
Tribe, which has request- all parts of an animal. Bones other birds to members of ico and Montana allow sources.
ed turtle shells, and turkey and antlers were crafted federally recognized tribes. people to salvage animals “The ultimate veneration of
and water fowl feathers. into spoons, knife handles In Arizona, the items high- that have been killed on any animal is through its use
The agency also gathered and weapons. Clothing est in demand are tortoise the road, sometimes for in ceremonies and prayers
turtle shells for New Mexi- and shoes were made shells. Also on the tribes’ free, but it’s not specific to conducted for the renewal
co pueblos, often used as from animal hides and lists are mountain lions, bi- tribal members. and continuation of life.”q
ankle or hand rattles in cer- pelts. Glue could be drawn
emonial dances. from hooves. Tribal regalia
The animal parts — as is adorned with feathers,
long as they are not badly bone breast plates and
decayed — are taken to necklaces made of animal
several freezers across the teeth.
state for pickup. Typically, Parts of the animal were
they would be left for scav- eaten as soon as they were
engers, thrown away or killed, and some was dried
even burned. and saved for later.
The Game and Fish Depart- The repository doesn’t dis-
ment had been working in- tribute feathers from eagles
formally with tribes for years or other federally protected
to deliver animal parts, and migratory birds. The federal
Cooley said it’s become government has a reposi-
more formal now with an tory in Denver for tribes to

This 2017 photo provided by the Museum of Northern Arizona shows an unidentified man wearing
In this Thursday, March 28, 2019 photo, a tortoise shell is seen at a headpiece fashioned out of an animal hide at the Navajo Festival of Arts and Culture in Flagstaff,
the Arizona Game and Fish Department offices in Flagstaff, Ariz. Ariz.
Associated Press Associated Press