#3

"Native American isn't blood. it is what is in the heart. The love for the land, the respect for it, those who inhabit, it, and the respect and acknowledgment of the spirits and elders. That is what it is to be Indian." White Feather, Navajo Medicine Man

Dear Concerned Citizen:

The bald eagle was chosen as the emblem of the United States of America because of its long life, great strength, majestic appearance and dominion over all the birds of the air.

In the Native American tradition, the eagle has always been revered as a creature of immense power, leadership and prestige, and a lone eagle feather is believed to convey great power.

Today Native Americans are still suffering from terrible wounds caused by continuous systematic attacks on Tribal rights. In a country that offers freedoms unlike any other in the world, they must fight against the injustice of broken promises and the unlawfulness of broken treaties in the struggle to mend the broken hearts of their people.

My name is John E. Echohawk, I am Pawnee, a lawyer; and cofounder of the Native American Rights Fund (NARF), a non-profit organization founded in 1970 to address the need for legal assistance on the major issues facing America's first people in today's justice system.

For the longest time, the United States fought against Indian self-determination and sovereignty by illegally legislating away the sovereignty of tribes and terminating their culture, their religion, their laws, their governments, and their Native souls and spirits.

Today, our attorneys and staff are devoted advocates and citizens, and we are proud to be a part of each case we represent. We are fighting in courtrooms across the country to ensure that the United States government honors its agreements with Native Americans and enforces rights and moral obligations guaranteed to the tribes by the Constitution.

You are reading this letter because NARF needs your help to act on behalf of America's Native peoples today. The struggles we are facing right now, as you read this letter, can make a difference in determining if our children will grow up healthy and productive or have to continue to battle just to survive as their elders have.

Please request an eagle feather pin by contacting us through our website or by mail. We hope you choose to wear it with pride. It is a symbol of everything NARF stands for. To our people the eagle feather is sacred and a symbol of honor and pride to both the giver and receiver. In our culture when a person has earned the right to wear an eagle feather they are held in very high esteem because others know that they have acted in a very honorable way.

When you choose to join NARF you will be joining a group of passionate people who are willing to respond to the terrible infringements on the rights of America's first people. United together, we can address our state, local, regional and national representatives about the important issues affecting Native American people throughout the country.

As a consensus builder, NARF works with religious, civil rights and other Native American organizations to shape the laws that will help assure the rights of all Native Americans. This emphasis helps tribes in all fifty states to develop strong self-governance, sound economic development, prudent natural resources management and positive social development.

Since our inception NARF has concentrated on five priority areas:

Preservation of tribal existence
Protection of tribal natural resources
Promotion of human rights
Accountability of governments
Development of Indian law and educating the public about Indian rights, laws, and issues

Many of our people are like battle-worn eagles. Their feathers are tattered, their wings are weak, their bodies are bruised and their spirits are broken. They desperately need the help of people like you so that they can become more self sufficient and enjoy the simple wonders of the living earth that is so much a part of their heritage and culture.

I will be very honored if you are able to join us in our fight for justice. Together, we can provide a sanctuary of hope and justice for every Native American tribe that comes to NARF for assistance in securing their very future. If you would like more information about NARF, please visit our website at www.narf.org.

Sincerely,


John E. Echohawk
Executive Director

P.S. Please show your support for Native Americans by wearing your enclosed eagle feather pin with pride, and remember that the eagle feather is a sacred symbol of honor and pride for both the giver and receiver.