Dene elder questions Alberta eagle feather policy

Dene elder Patrick Deranger and his wife Lee Deranger wanted to do something cultural and special to honour a small group of Indigenous graduates in Calgary last year.

The couple thought eagle feathers would be an appropriate gift to recognize the hard work of the students. 

"A lot of these kids have faced some pretty big challenges in getting their Grade 12 diploma," said Lee Deranger.

Patrick Deranger said the feathers are a high honour and would properly recognize the efforts students made to graduate.

But when he applied for nine secondary eagle feathers in spring last year, Alberta Fish and Wildlife said his application could not be approved because only students with Treaty status could receive the feathers. Deranger said half of the kids would have been left out because they are either Métis or non-status.

"The kids worked so hard to earn this, and now we can't give it to them," said Patrick Deranger. "I really kind of felt insulted as an elder."

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The Derangers said they asked various provincial ministries and organizations for resources to see which legislation outlines the policy in question, but to date Lee Deranger said they have not received a clear answer.

"We've been trying for over a year now to find out whether this a statute, is this a new law? And if it is, is it a federal law, or is it a provincial law … or is it merely a policy?" she said.

Naturalist and bird expert Chris Fisher says eagles are a provincially managed bird.

"Raptors such as eagles, hawks and owls are not protected by the federal Migratory Birds Convention Act, so they fall under the provincial legislation known as the Alberta Wildlife Act," said Fisher.

'The whole significance is in honour'

Loretta Parenteau-English would also like to honour students at Grande Prairie Regional College with eagle feathers when they graduate this spring.

She's an Elder in Residence at the college, but isn't comfortable having to distinguish status from non-status Indigenous students.

"It's a sad feeling," she said. "The whole significance is in honour."

It's a sad feeling. The whole significance is in honour.- Loretta Parenteau-English

"An individual that doesn't get [a feather] accomplished the same amount of student experience as the next individual."

Kelly Benning is an Indigenous Initiatives Coordinator at the college. She said the college first applied for feathers nearly a decade ago.

"I was really surprised when I initially found out that those were the rules … and every year I have to explain that to the students," she said.

Indigenous cultural renaissance

Patrick Deranger says taking the decision-making out of elders' hands is a step backwards.

"Our indigenous people are different now," he said. "The last 500 years were the dark ages for us. [Now] It's like a renaissance. We have become awakened."

"We have so much pain, and that's what the feathers are for. These kids somehow survived."

Patrick Deranger is still trying to get answers from the Government of Alberta about the regulations.

The Government of Alberta has not yet responded to an inquiry from CBC News.