FHBC support PSD25 Native students graduation attire
Eneesa Lela Teton
By LORI ANN EDMO
Sho-Ban News
FORT HALL — The Fort Hall Business Council is requesting the Pocatello School District 25 Superintendent and Board of Trustees to waive its graduation attire policy on behalf of local Native students so they can wear an eagle feather and beaded caps, if they choose.
Waiving the policy would afford the students to express their right to freedom of religion and speech.
The letter reads several Shoshone-Bannock tribal member students are graduating from School District 25 high schools and are encountering discriminating policies for graduation apparel. Policy 8504 prohibits American Indian students from wearing an eagle feather or beading their graduation caps at graduation ceremonies.
“The Tribes is a federally recognized tribe located in southeastern Idaho and whose original reservation boundaries include the current city of Pocatello. All three Pocatello high schools are located on lands ceded by the Tribes. The Shoshone and Bannock people traditionally and religiously honor significant milestones by gifting graduates eagle feathers or eagle plumes, including beading graduation caps to celebrate personal academic accomplishments and to affirm our tribal identity,” the letter continues.
The FHBC congratulated all the tribal member and American Indian high school students graduating this year. Following a difficult and challenging year with the COVID-19 virus, having this year graduation ceremonies is truly an occasion for celebrating.
Several Tribal member parents have expressed their concerns and frustration with School District #25's policies prohibiting decoration of graduation attire and restricting the wearing of eagle feathers. “We feel this policy may be in violation of several first amendment constitutionally guaranteed rights (e.g. the exercise of religious freedom and the right to freedom of speech),” the letter from Chairman Devon Boyer reads.
Tribal parents have reported they’ve received an email notice of no plumes or beadwork on caps six days prior to graduation. Several tribal graduates had already beaded the edges of their graduation caps.
In 2004, Century High principal purposely removed a tribal member from the graduation line at the graduation ceremony for wearing an eagle feather on his cap. Pocatello High School had an issue with a tribal member who was advised to affix her eagle feather to her hair and not on her cap to allow her to walk at graduation.
Boyer said in the letter the School District has an inconsistent application of their policy, which seems to change yearly. “Our tribal students are the ones who suffer this policy as some students are debating even participating in graduation ceremonies with such restrictive requirements.
Shoshone-Bannock Tribal traditional spiritual and religious ceremonies of our Tribal people is important for our people to continue to practice our religious beliefs. A key component to our beliefs is our inherent right to use eagle feathers in our religious and spiritual activities. We also hold high school graduation ceremonies as a formal, solemn and religious occasion.”
There is concern the graduating students rights under the American Indian Religious Freedom Act (AIRFA) are being infringed upon. AIRFA was passed in 1978 to recognize, protect and preserve the traditional cultural practices and religious rights of American Indians. In addition, Congress recognized the importance of eagles and their parts in tribal tradition religious practices in the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.
The letter reads it is logically inconsistent to allow Christians to religious symbols (i.e. crosses) outside their gowns and not allow Native Americans to wear their religious symbols. Allowing visible tattoos or body piercing and not eagle plumes or feathers may also infringe on constitutionally protected rights.
“When addressing high school graduations and eagle feathers here in Idaho, we have had to educate surrounding area high schools who have had similar restrictive policies to allow our Tribal members to wear eagle feathers on their graduation attire. Further, I emphasize the Tribes do not consider eagle feathers ‘decorations.’ It is a sacred honor to wear an eagle feather or plume; especially during public events,” the letter from Boyer reads.
Highland High school graduate Eneesa Teton sent an email to the Tribes concerning the policy. She said her aunt Amanda Teton edged her cap to wear but because of the policy isn’t allowed to wear it. She noted in the email graduating is a large milestone for her and her family. “My graduation from high school has been talked about for as long as I can remember. My late grandmother had continuously encouraged me to take my education as far as I could, and I am. She spoke to me often about how she would bead my cap when that day came. Unfortunately, she will not be with me on my graduation day.”
Teton said in the email wearing her beaded cap, “Is important to me, not only to represent my culture, but to pay homage to someone who is very important to me.
In my opinion it is wrong for the school district to prevent me from participating in my graduation ceremony, or even compromise me from receiving my diploma for something that holds such a deep cultural significance. I believe that it is well within my rights of cultural and religious freedom to wear my beaded cap. After all, my older sister was able to wear her beaded cap at her Blackfoot High School graduation- a district that does not allow embellishments to graduation caps, but recognizes the cultural and religious significance a beaded cap possesses to Native American peoples and culture. Policies in various school districts around the nation that are similar to Pocatello/Chubbuck School District 25’s regarding cap embellishments, have been appealed and modified allowing cultural and religious regalia to be worn at commencement ceremonies. That is what I am hoping to accomplish with the situation that I am in. I believe that this is an issue that has been overlooked in the past, and I hope that my situation is one that can pave the way for other students.”
She asked the council for all of the advocacy and support she could get. Other students who expressed concern were Bodhi Edmo, Felix Edmo, Chloe Fullmer and Ethan Davis.
Pocatello School District 25 Superintendent Douglas Howell was contacted but a response is yet to be received.
