NAFPS Forum

I felt hurt when Barnaby decided to discuss this long enough after the posting that he was getting in the middle of a decision inside myself. Actually I knew I was supposed to bury it but I just needed a little moral support from another human being to tip me over the edge and make the comittment to doing the right thing. I also could feel that making an argument of this is disturbing to this feather. Maybe that is an illusion. Right now this feather is underneath my strawberry patch. Hopefully nobody reading this forum will ever get close enough to Deventer to figure out where my strawberry patch is should they for some strange or perverse reason see fit to disturb. I thought there was relief there and I sincerely hope that is the case.

As an anti racist person I am also capable of thinking for myself. I had received no comment on it from an authority so I went ahead and did what I thought was right. Thank you Kevin for the moral support and suggestions. Next burning issue. We have plenty.

I'm not making this into a fight. The reason I posted, gosh, four whole days after Kevin's suggestion is I often don't have time to post here during the week; not because I was looking to start something.

How did you know you needed to bury it? Were you advised by the appropriate Indian people to bury it in your garden? If so, great.

as a native person a feather is a part of the dead animal so bury it so that it can go back to the earth is the best way

I was taught that since a bird is of the air you do not bury it. It should be tied in a tree, preferably on a hill somewhere secluded. 

It's not a good idea to dig it back up is it? If somebody who knows here thinks it is better I will. My feeling is that rest is the best thing but I'm in the middle of learning when NOT to follow my feelings. It feels disrespectful to mess around with it any more.

Being raised by hippies with some new age behaviors I have often had to deal with neglect. I had to make decisions I was in no position to make. I'm sorry if my instincts like that kicked in there. After a short while with no answer I will take matters into my own hands.

People from different Nations are going to have somewhat different answers to this question.  The religions are different - hence, the ways of dealing with these things are going to vary.

ETA: Prairie Fairy, as long as people from a variety of Nations are weighing in, there will probably not be One True Best Way for you to dispose of it yourself. If you were part of one of these specific Nations, then it would be clear which religion's protocols apply. Again, it's not my place to advise here, but I would have seconded the suggestion to turn it over to an elder to deal with in the traditional ways of their people. But since it's been buried in the earth for a while, um, well, I'm not so sure anyone is going to want to get that package in the mail... I could be wrong...

I agree that every Nation has its own traditions but Earth7 did say it was ok to bury it and I would trust her to know her traditions

Quote from: Cetan on September 09, 2008, 06:51:20 PM
I agree that every Nation has its own traditions but Earth7 did say it was ok to bury it and I would trust her to know her traditions

Oh, I wasn't doubting LaDonna :-) I was just noticing PF's confusion, and hoping to clarify to PF that, while some people were giving different answers - because they're from different nations - this doesn't mean that the NDN folks with differing answers were wrong.  It just means their tribe handles it differently.  I don't think PF should, or shouldn't, dig the feather up. I am not giving advice about that. :-)

Thanks again everybody for the input. It sounds like this is settled.