Eagle bone whistle

Eagle Bone Whistle made from an American Bald Eagle wing bone. This whistle is also depicted with a buffalo hide pouch used to carry the whistle.

The eagle bone whistle is a highly sacred religious object, used by some members of Native American spiritual societies in particular sacred ceremonies. It is made from the long wing bones of both the American bald eagle, and the American golden eagle, and are considered extremely powerful spiritual objects.

Eagle bone whistles produce a series of high pitched notes which are reminiscent of the cry of an eagle. These whistles are only used in certain ceremonies to call particular spirits.

Both the Bald and Golden Eagle are protected by Federal Law. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 (MBTA) prohibits the taking, killing, possession, transportation, and importation of migratory birds, their eggs, parts, and nests except as authorized under a valid permit (50 CFR 21.11). The MBTA authorizes and directs the Secretary of the Interior to determine if, and by what means, the hunting of migratory birds should be allowed, as well as to adopt and implement suitable regulations permitting and governing the hunting of any type of migratory bird (for example, hunting seasons for ducks and geese). The Eagle feather law is another name for the exceptions to this act that are sometimes granted to enrolled members of federally recognized Native American tribes.

Penalties under the MBTA include a maximum of two years imprisonment and $250,000 fine for a felony conviction and six months imprisonment or $5,000 fine for a misdemeanor conviction. Fines double if the violator is an organization rather than an individual.

Usage

The peyote ceremonies of the Native American Church use eagle bone whistles to call the spirits to attend peyote ceremonies. Some Native American cultures believe that music created from the bones of eagles can be heard in the spirit world. A number of Sun Dance cultures, such as the Crow, use the whistles in the Sun Dance ceremony.^[1]

References

1. Fred W, Voget (1984). The Shoshoni-Crow Sun Dance. The Shoshoni-Crow Sun Dance (University of Oklahoma Press). p. 308. ISBN 0-8061-1886-5. Retrieved 22 May 2011.