On graduation day, the customary attire consists of a gown and cap, which are occasionally ornamented. Consider honor stoles, unique cords, or perhaps a cap with decorations.
The right of a graduate to express their culture when they cross the stage is now protected by a new law that was signed into law in Michigan earlier this month.
Beadwork and eagle feathers are examples of regalia that have spiritual, religious, and cultural importance for some Indigenous cultures.
While some school districts across the country have prohibited graduates from donning them, Michigan has not, which is a victory for organizations like the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi.
They had been battling and coping with this problem for a while, going through feelings that shouldn’t be typical on graduation day.
“There’s been a lot of general fear of wearing your regalia to graduation,” Jordan Morseau, a Youth Council leader in the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi stated. “There’s these horror stories where school administrative staff would confiscate them, and usually it’s not because it’s a malicious intent but it’s really just they’re ignorant of Indigenous cultural protocols.”
Although Julie Dye, secretary of the Michigan Democratic Party’s Anishinaabek Caucus, has been pushing for this reform for years, she thinks there is a deeper reason for the problem.
“The reason there’s so much misunderstanding and ignorance about our cultures is that we’ve never been written about in the history books or as current living people,” Dye stated.
However, things are about to change. After House Bill 4854 became law, Michigan schools had to make sure Native American students could attend ceremonies of honor with full regalia.
There are many other types of that regalia, including as eagle feathers, jewelry, headgear, and beaded sashes.
It is impossible to overstate the importance of the regalia, particularly for people like Morseau who were denied their chance.
“Whenever I wear my regalia, it sort of calms me and it calms my mind, body and soul, centers me, and it kind of helps put things into perspective,” Morseau stated. “And this is sort of reflecting now; I was not able to wear my regalia for any of my graduation ceremonies.”
As she reflects on the somber and violent past of Native Americans, Dye saw changing the law as a full circle moment.
The ability of Native American graduates to wear traditional attire is protected by a new Michigan statute.
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“It’s wonderful; it’s very emotional, obviously,” Dye stated. “My parents and my grandparents weren’t allowed to [wear regalia]; they would have been jailed for having a ceremony of such.”
According to Dye, more needs to be done in the way of education to guarantee a deeper comprehension of Native American culture.
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“People know very little about our history,” Dye stated. “They can’t name one or two tribes of Michigan. They don’t know about the boarding school era, some of the atrocities that have been committed, the genocidal policies that the government initiated. It’s a narrative that needs to change.”
Dye thinks that learning more about Indigenous culture will begin with this legislation reform.
