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#4
"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
Because we believe you are a defender of the legal
rights of Native Americans, please request an eagle feather pin from us
through our website or by mail. 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 people have 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.
Please wear your eagle feather pin with pride, knowing that, because
of your involvement with NARF, many Native Americans are receiving
the legal assistance they deserve on the major issues still facing
their tribes in the United States today.
In a country that offers freedoms unlike any other in the world,
Native Americans 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.
For the longest time, the United States fought against Indian self-
determination and sovereignty by illegally legislating away the authority
of tribes and terminating their culture, their religion, their laws, their
governments, and their Native souls and spirits.
Laws and treaties to enforce the rights
of Native people exist, but there is almost no oversight or
persistence within the majority population to exercise those
laws or to keep the promises that America made in treaties. Laws
are only as effective as the people who administer and enforce them.
I thank you for being part of our group of
passionate people who are willing to work for the achievement of
justice so that wrongs that have existed, sometimes for centuries, can finally
be made right.
Like you, our attorneys and staff are devoted advocates
and citizens. We are proud to be a part of each case we represent in courtrooms
across the country. We won't give up our fight 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.
NARF is steadfast and determined to preserve tribal existence,
promote human. rights, make governments accountable to their people, and develop Indian
legislation and educate the public about Indian rights, laws and issues.
As a consensus builder, we work with religious, civil rights,
and other Native American organizations to shape the laws that will help assure the
civil and religious 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.
Through your continued support of NARF you remain an
important advocate for Native Americans who are still suffering from terrible
wounds caused by continuous systematic attacks on their tribal rights.
The struggles we are facing right now, as
you read this letter, can make the difference in determining if
Native American children will grow up healthy and productive or
have to continue to battle just to survive as their elders have.
The bald eagle was chosen as the emblem of our country because
of its long life,
great strength, majestic looks 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. The eagle feather is a symbol of everything NARF stands for.
Yet 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.
United together, we can continue to provide a sanctuary of hope and justice
for every Native American tribe that comes to NARF for assistance in securing
their very future. United together, we can address our state, local, regional
and national representatives about the important issues affecting Native American
people throughout the country.
Thank you again for standing with us in our fight for justice.
Please show your support for Native Americans by wearing your eagle
feather pin with pride and honor.
Sincerely,
John E. Echohawk
Executive Director
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