Flightless bird Flightless bird Flightless birds are birds that through evolution lost the ability to fly. There are over 60 extant species including the well known ratites (ostrich, emu, cassowary, rhea and kiwi) and penguins. The smallest flightless bird is the Inaccessible Island rail (length 12.5 cm, weight 34.7 g). The largest (both heaviest and tallest) flightless bird, which is also the largest living bird, is the ostrich (2.7 m, 156 kg). Ostriches are farmed for their decorative feathers, meat and their skins, which are used to make leather. Many domesticated birds, such as the domestic chicken and domestic duck, have lost
Farewell Letter to the American People Farewell Letter to the American People The "Farewell Letter to the American People" was a widely published letter by Choctaw Chief George W. Harkins in February 1832. It denounced the removal of the Choctaw Nation to Oklahoma. It also marked the beginning of a large process that would remove Native Americans who were living east of Mississippi, the Trail of Tears. Harkins wrote the letter to explain what it feels like to leave one's ancestral homes to satisfy the desires of others. The letter is still considered one of the most important documents in Native American history: Arthur H. DeRosier