Don't let em brow beat ya Matt. I have some cousins that are just plumb eat up with gator games, and memorabilia. Their house, and van are all decked out in gator silliness!
they never miss a game! There once was a Wealthy Arab, who sent his three sons to America, and when they returned, he asked what impressed them the most about America? The oldest son, said " The airlines, you just go to any big city, and there is an airport, and you just get a ticket and go anywhere you want! that is what impressed me the most!" So the Father bought him United Airlines. the second son, said "the cars! Everyone has one! Some have two or more! That is what impressed me the most!" So the Father bought him GM. The youngest son said, "what impressed me the most my Father, was Disney World! You have to go there two days, and still not see everything, and it is crowded every day, and is entertainment for the entire family! That is what impressed me the most. So the Father said, OK, I will buy you Disney World. No, my Father, said the youngest son, that is not necessary. I insist, said the Father, I bought your Brothers something, I must buy something you also. So the youngest son, said, "OK, just for the memories, buy me a Mickey Mouse outfit." So the Father ................bought..........him........ University of Florida!
Well I hope you get the spear made. You might also run a rawhide strip down the shaft, and attach the little tapered tubes you can get at craft stores, and glue the feathers in those, and attach them to the rawhide strip, maybe even just drill holes in the strip, and insert the feathers in there. You can slice the quill end, at an angle, and insert that through the rawhide, and then bend it around the rawhide, and back into itself, and wrap, and glue it. that should hold it out straight. Or you could just stick the quill through the hole, and cut a notch in the quill and just bend it over, and sew it, and wrap around the top and bottom of the quill on both sides.
Good luck with it. You can get spear blades I think from Dixie Arms, or Atlanta Cutlery.
Wayne