A Browning man on Oct. 3 admitted to stealing culturally significant artifacts, including a grizzly bear necklace, moccasins and golden eagle feathers, from the Museum of the Plains Indian last year on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, according to U.S. Attorney Jesse Lasovich.
Preston Jay Spotted Eagle, 31, pleaded guilty to theft of government property before Chief U.S. District Judge M. Morris. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and at least five years to life of supervised release.
According to court documents, the thefts occurred between May and August of 2021 from the Museum of the Plains Indian, which is run by the Indian Arts and Crafts Board and the U.S. Department of Interior. Spotted Eagle was working at the museum as an aid and the curator noticed that a bear claw necklace was missing from the displays in August 2021.
When the curator confronted Spotted Eagle about the missing bear claw, he told her he did not know what happened to it.
During a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service investigation, Spotted Eagle was identified as the thief after security footage connected him to the crime. When confronted again about the necklace, Spotted Eagle said he thought he took it out of the display because it had fallen and he told the curator nobody else needed to review the video and he “could guarantee the necklace was still in the museum,” records state.
That afternoon, Spotted Eagle said he found the necklace under some papers in the collection room and when the curator asked him to show her the necklace the following day, she said it was heavily damaged.
After the incident, the museum conducted inventory to identify other missing items and officials found four bear claws taken from a collection room drawer, a pair of moccasins and 26 golden eagle feathers from a war bonnet. An investigation determined Spotted Bear removed the artifacts, photographed them with his cell phone and wore historic clothing, some of which were very old and delicate. He also rummaged through many sacred bundles, according to documents.
An appraisal of the damage to the grizzly bear necklace resulted in a $1,200 loss of value. The market value of the moccasins and four claws together was $1,150 and the replacement value was $2,150. The eagle feathers do not have a fair market value because the trade is illegal, but the valuation of the missing eagle feathers could be $7,800 based on a forfeiture collateral schedule. The damage to the war bonnet has not been calculated for the same reason as the eagle feathers.
Government officials said it was impossible to put a monetary amount on the items, which are unique and culturally significant to the Blackfeet Tribe.
Spotted Eagle’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Feb. 8, 2023. He was released pending further proceedings.