New Mexico becomes 19th state to guarantee students' right to wear regalia
Stewart HuntingtonICTNew Mexico officials are hoping that Native high school students celebrate their identity in upcoming graduation ceremonies under a new law securing their right to wear culturally significant clothing, accessories and objects during school events.And spread the joy.'We're hoping to kind of run a campaign to some extent … to showcase native students,' Josett Monette, the state's cabinet secretary for the Indian Affairs Department, told ICT. 'We're hoping we get some selfies or photos of students in their regalia as they do their different events towards the end of the year, and that we're able to kind of highlight those' on official State of New Mexico social media feeds.On March 19, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the legislation into law, ensuring students across New Mexico can freely express their cultural identity at school ceremonies. 'This legislation represents our commitment to honoring and respecting the rich cultural heritage of New Mexico's Native communities,' said Lujan Grisham. 'Every student deserves to celebrate their academic achievements in a way that honors their identity and traditions.'The legislation passed unanimously through both chambers of the Legislature and took effect immediately after the governor signed it. New Mexico joins at least 18 other states that have enacted laws that enshrine Native students' rights to express their cultural identities sartorially. Education officials praised the new statute. '(The bill) SB 163 is a significant step forward in honoring and respecting the cultural heritage of Native American students across New Mexico,' said Sec. Mariana Padilla of the New Mexico Public Education Department. 'By ensuring their right to wear traditional regalia at school ceremonies, this bill affirms the importance of identity, culture, and self-expression of the nearly 40,000 Native American students enrolled in a public school across the state. Education should uplift and celebrate the rich traditions that make our communities stronger.'Monette, a Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians citizen, said the bill was the first one she had initiated in her year as secretary of the Indian Affairs Department that went through to become law – and that seeing it in the formal legal registry gave her a boost.'Very excited to have gotten the bill through,' she said. 'We felt it was appropriate to put this into law to ensure that the right (to wear culturally significant clothing) remained intact, and that there was no question as to whether or not students would be allowed to do that. … I'm hopeful that this just makes one of those steps a little bit easier for students to not have to worry about it.'Students have often had to worry about it. Across the country and in New Mexico.Last year in Farmington, New Mexico, a Hunkpapa Lakota student had her graduation cap – that she had adorned with a traditional feather plume – removed by school administrators during her graduation ceremony. The incident, caught on video, prompted outrage and a rebuke from the Navajo Nation Council.'No student in any school should be prohibited from wearing regalia that signifies their cultural and spiritual beliefs,' the council said. 'These actions are belittling, humiliating, and demeaning to the student and her family. There is no place for this type of behavior in our educational systems. The school officials owe an apology to the student and her family.'The Native American Rights Fund, a leading legal advocacy organization in Indian Country, has made it a priority to fight for students' rights to wear regalia. Last year NARF released a help sheet for students and parents – and school administrators – to navigate the issue. 'Many Tribal Nations recognize leadership achievements by bestowing the person who earned the honor an eagle feather or plume,' the guidelines state. 'While tribal religions and spiritual practices vary from each other, in general, a Native person who wears a plume or eagle feather at a public event has done something amazing to show that they have the maturity to pray and care for themselves and others. … This guide shares steps to help high school graduates successfully wear eagle feathers during their commencement ceremony.'The guidelines further urge parents to seek legal advice should schools balk at allowing cultural displays at school ceremonies – a consideration that the new law in New Mexico aims to render moot.'There's at least 18 other states that have a similar law in place,' said Monette. 'And so we thought it was time for New Mexico to be part of that as well. I always say that New Mexico should be at the forefront of what's going on in Indian country, and across the entire country.'I think it's going to be really exciting. I hope the students and the parents appreciate it. I'm hoping we see lots of students wearing their regalia for graduation.'And sending selfies to the secretary of the Department of Indian Affairs. The 18 other states with similar laws, according to the Native American Rights Fund, are: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, and Washington.
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