By Miriam Raftery

August 28, 2015 (San Diego) – Native American dancer Chuck Cadotte seeks public help to find his lost regalia, or ceremonial attire which he lost en route to the Tachi pow-wow north of our region. A box containing the regalia festooned with many eagle feathers fell off the roof of his vehicle somewhere along his pre-dawn route this morning, which stared at Balboa Avenue onto 805 north, then I-5 north and the 405 freeway before the Castaic Lake exit, where he discovered the treasured items were missing.

“I’m at a loss,” he posted on his Facebook page. “If anyone out there has found my regalia items on the freeway, please, please call me to return my feathers.” It is illegal for non-Native Americans to possess eagle feathers, which are considered sacred in Native American culture. Cadotte adds that he has a permit to prove his right to possess them. His phone is 619-929-2875.

Missing items include bustle feathers, roach and feathers, trailer with feathers, breastplate, head band, arm bands, eaglehead dance staff, shield with painted eagle head, and eagle feathers hanging as well as a gourd rattle and a roach stick with two eagle feathers. Cadotte’s name tag is on a vest. The box may have been destroyed, so please also report any loose items matching these descriptions if you find them.

CHP and CalTrans have been alerted but thus far have no reports of items found. Meanwhile friends and strangers have rallied across the Internet to help spread the word on social media – including Tso Yanez, who posted on Cadotte’s Facebook page, “got hold of a few trucking buddies that are working … next few days,, they're gonna spread tha word,, prayers for tha best turn out.”