Dear Friends:

The long awaited date is near. We will be appearing at the Federal Court on March 23,2010 at 4:00 PM Texas time. We have been waiting for almost three years for this case. So I am writing to ask you to please pray as we confront the United States government over the taking of forty-two of our Eagle feathers and the violation of our Religious Rights as American Indians.

If you are anywhere near the McAllen Texas area, you are welcome to come and support our efforts to change laws. We are not suing for money, we are suing for the right to be who God the Creator made us to be, Indian people. We are suing for the right to use sacred objects such as Eagle Feathers in our pow wows and ceremonies. We are suing to change laws that clearly violate our rights as American Indians. Laws that say it is illegal to advertise our gatherings. Laws that say it is illegal to have the exchange of money in our celebrations. That would make honoring a person in the circle against the law. These are laws that give our federal government officers the right to come into our ceremonies, services and pow wows because the moment we advertise and the moment we exchange even a dollar, according to our federal laws, our event ceases to be sacred and the Government thus has the right to come and do as they please.

Remember, these are the people who said, "Just because your parents were Indians does not make you an Indian." I guess someone needs to take the officers of the Department of Interior Fish and Wildlife back to basic 101 classes to learn that like reproduces like.

So please keep us in prayer on March 23, 2010 at 4:00 PM Texas time as we go before the court and make right that which was wrong.

God bless,

Robert Soto, Member and Vice Chairman of the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas