I have just come across this tribe - I am writing a book re: Making Medicine Tools and ceremonial art - Which has a section on birds & feathers. The little mite that lives on the feathers whole purpose in life is to break them down & return them to the earth. When acquiring a feather, it should be washed lightly with a few drops of any of the following - eucalyptus, tea tree, lavender, sage, wormwood etc - many herbs and oils will do the trick. While washing feathers lightly & carefully, run fingers along feather shaft, as the mite lays its eggs here, you will feel them as rough spots. The water on the feather at this stage is a blessing & can be used to bless people & spaces, like a homeopathic cleansing for the environment. Dry on newspaper. Just before drying preen with fingers, feathers can also be healed this way, if they have become split. This mite is natural to the environment & if your feather begins to look dusty, repeat procedure. Feathers will be more likely to pick up mite if left flat, they need to be hung or placed upright. Washing & then blowing air through your feathers will reactivate the energy, preventing them from becoming stale - hope this helps, I thought I might post this as a topic as well - Love to hear from others - Morning Star