Bald eagle’s new status as the official US bird brings pride and hope to many Native Americans

Bald eagle’s new status as the official US bird brings pride and hope to many Native Americans

Many Native Americans are marking ceremonies like graduations with bald eagle feathers, a form of reverence for the bird they have always held sacred as a messenger to the Creator

New graduate Arthur Lockwood, center left, and other members of the Prairie Island Singers perform drumming at a ceremony honoring high school and higher education graduates at the Prairie Island Indian Community in Minnesota on Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Giovanna Dell’Orto)