Greetings from “Feathers for Native Americans”,

Here is our 3rd Quarter Update.

Thanks to all that Donated feathers last quarter. They were greatly appreciated and are already out in the Pueblos.

Lots of exciting NEWS & Request for ACTION in this Update.

FIRST, I’m in the process of setting up a Feather Distribution Program out in the Zuni reservation. I hope to get this going by The first of the year. The basic idea of this program is that we will send BULK boxes of the Parrot & Macaw feathers that they have A need for. They will sort, clean, bag and distribute them to the different Kivas/Societies that are responsible for the current years Ceremonies and that way we are assured that the right people are getting the right type feathers needed. This will be handled thru The Zuni Tribal Office. They have a similar program with Turkey and Duck feathers now. We just need to increase our inflow of Parrot & Macaw feathers (from Down to Tails and all between) to be able to support their program. Currently the Zuni tribe is one of the more heavily involved with Traditional Ceremonies, with ceremonial functions happening many months of the year. The Hopi are the most active with twelve (12) Pueblo Villages conducting ceremonies almost all year long (Monthly).

SECONDLY, I’m very excited about our opportunity to go international. We're calling it "The Amazon Connection". I’m working with Bennett Hennessey and the Asociacion Armonia Bolivia/Laney Rickman Blue-Throated Macaw Reserve in Bolivia. Bennett, Buddy Waskey from AFA and I have been in discussions talking about the possibility of sending Molted Macaw and Amazon Parrot feathers to Bolivia for the Indigenous tribes to use that are not using the artificial feathers as seen in the AFA Watchbird article, Volume XLVI *2019, page 49-50. Bennett feels that if we could get donations of any and all Type Macaw Tail & Wing feathers as well as any and all type Amazon Parrot Tail & Wing Feathers gathered and sent to Bolivia for the Indigenous Tribes it would have an impact on taking the pressure off the Hunting and killing the Wild Macaw & Parrot population. I believe the tribes that are seen using artificial feathers in public Festival and Celebrations may still be using real feathers in the village ceremonies as they have for centuries and Bennett has said that not all tribes are using the artificial feathers.

So, the call is on, CAN YOU HELP BENNETT and “FEATHERS FOR NATIVE AMERICANS” with these specific molted feathers?? (Macaw Tail & Wing and Amazon Parrot Tail & Wing Feathers) “Feathers for Native Americans” will be the conduit to Assemble, Sort, Sanitize, Clean and Send the feathers to Bennett who will hand deliver them to the Indigenous tribes.

A single headdress, (30 Macaw tails & 30+ Amazon Tails) using USA Molted feathers will save the lives of fifteen (15) Macaws and a least fifteen (15) Amazon Parrots lives. We are asking you, within the sphere of influence and contacts you have within the Parrot Community, to spread these words to Bird Owners/Caretakers and other Organizations to please see if they can help us make this happen. It’s as easy as forwarding this page thru email on to your contacts.

As I’m writing this update Bennett is just getting back from being out in the bush talking with the indigenous tribes about using USA molted feathers verses having to hunt and kill local wild Macaws & Parrots. This way we will be sending only the particular feathers that they can and will use.

Bennett, Buddy and I really believe this is just another key to helping solve the Threatening and Endangerment of the Wild Macaws & Parrots of Latin America and can make a real impact on Parrot populations in the Amazon. Can you imagine how many molted Macaw & Parrot feathers are In this country that could be helping this cause.

Feather Collection Address; 3415 Butterfly Arch, Virginia Beach, VA 23456

Any and all help will be greatly appreciated.

More info and follow-up to come next time,

Any questions, please email me back.

Steven James