Native American students’ right to

Danielson co-sponsors bill

BY JASON GONZALES CHALKBEAT

Colorado would guarantee the right of Native American students to wear items such as eagle feathers and other traditional clothing at graduation ceremonies through a bill under consideration this year.

Federal law protects Native American religious and cultural rights. But students sometimes run into issues or nd at-out prohibition at schools when it comes to wearing regalia at ceremonies, advocates say. ey say families must then ght to make districts aware of the importance of traditional clothing. Or students running into a lack of understanding might choose to skip graduation ceremonies altogether.

Senate Bill 202 would ensure K-12 schools, colleges, and universities create policies to protect Native American students so they don’t run into issues.

Sen. Jessie Danielson, a Wheat Ridge Democrat and co-sponsor of the bill, said she’s heard of school o cials telling students they have to hide, remove, or even throw away regalia because of policies that maintain uniformity at graduations. She said some students have even reported school o cials touched or con scated students’ eagle feathers, a cultural and religious symbol.

“ is bill clari es for the school that

Wear Regalia At Graduation

you do not interfere with this,” Danielson said. “You cannot harass these students and prevent them from wearing their traditional regalia.”

Schools asking Native American students to remove or throw away items is like a school asking a student to get rid of a Jewish or Christian symbol, said Melvin Baker, Southern Ute Tribal Council chairman, during a mid-April hearing.

He added that the United States has a history of trying to erase Native American culture, and the bill would ensure students get to honor their identity and their achievement.

“Tribal regalia plays a unique role for graduating native Native students,” Baker said. “ ese items are often gifted to students by parents or tribal elders in recognition of this achievement.” e Native American Rights Fund receives many calls every spring from families across the country looking for support on how to ensure they can wear regalia at graduation ceremonies, said Matthew Campbell, the organization’s deputy director. It’s been a few years since he elded a call from Colorado families, but he said families do sometimes run into trouble with schools.

“Usually, when we reach out to the schools and explain the importance of these items — once they understand — they usually will allow them to be worn,” Campbell said.

In recent years, some states have