HELENA, Mont. (AP) – Aspen Many Hides recalled being in tears as she stood in line five years ago waiting to receive her high school diploma in Polson. Her mother was frantically trying to remove the beads she had sewn into her cap as a sign of accomplishment and to show her pride in her Native American heritage.
Just minutes before the procession was to begin marching, Many Hides was told the beads, particularly those spelling out her family name, violated school policy and had to be removed if she wanted to march.
“I’m very proud of where I came from a Native people, it’s important we have an opportunity to represent ourselves with regalia. For many Native Americans, graduation from high school is huge because of so many challenges in life.”
Over the years, controversies have erupted not only across Montana, but in other parts of the country as students of color seek to blend the regalia of their cultural heritage with the pomp of high school graduation.
Earlier this week, a legislative committee in Montana tabled a proposal that would allow Native American students to wear regalia, such as embroidered beads and eagle feathers, along with their caps and gowns. But supporters used a special rule to force the bill out of committee and onto the Senate floor for further consideration Friday.
School officials in El Reno, Oklahoma, last year took away a hand-beaded graduation cap from a Native American student just before graduation, saying it violated policy – although school officials said they do allow Native students to wear eagle feathers.
In California, the ACLU intervened on behalf two years ago for a student who was later allowed to wear an eagle feather as part of his tassel.
“In this day and age, this is still a surprise. Part of it is the lack of understanding about how important these items are,” said Matthew Campbell, a staff attorney with the Colorado-based Native American Rights Fund.
It’s not just an issue among Native Americans, but restrictions also affect other ethnic and religious groups who wear non-Western garb – from hijabs to kente cloths. In Elk Grove, California, a black student said deputies removed him from his high school graduation ceremony last May for wearing a special fabric that expressed his African heritage.
Tia Welzenbach, who graduates in May from decided to allow the senior to march with a beaded mortar board.
Principal Sue Anderson said it was thetold that students weren’t allowed to make changes to graduation attire.
“It wasn’t any kind of prejudice. It was about keeping on tradition. This issue had never come up before until this year. This was new to everyone,” Andersen said.