Pawn Shop Owner Charged After Selling Headdresses

Pawn Shop Owner Charged After Selling Headdresses

Thursday, May 15, 2008 at 14:35

Several Battlefords-area residents are facing at least 35 charges for illegally trafficking wildlife parts — including those used in feathered dance costumes.

The charges will be spoken to in North Battleford Provincial Court on June 2nd.

Conservation officer Gary Provencher says it is not illegal to have feathers in dance costumes, but it is illegal to sell them without a permit.

Provencher notes treaty Indians have the right to use feathers in headdresses, as long as the feathers are legally accounted for.

He says in this case, the pawn shop is accused of accepting headdresses with wildlife parts in them, and trying to re-sell them without a permit.

Provencher says the owner likely wouldn’t have received a permit in this case, even if she had applied for one.

Pawn shop owner Linda Bomok is declining to comment while the case is before the courts.