I’m sure we’re going to hear more about this one. A parent is upset at the Brookings School District for stripping a student of eagle feather at this weekend’s graduation, despite the presence of a state law that says “The state, any of its political subdivisions, municipalities or subdivisions thereof shall not prohibit any person from wearing traditional tribal regalia or objects of cultural significance at a school honoring or graduation ceremony.”
My son, Miles Paul Livermont, a descendent of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, was honored by his Cheyenne River Sioux family with an eagle feather and star quilt at a family gathering at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Brookings, SD, a couple hours before Brookings High School commencement ceremony on March 26, 2019.
Just before he processed with his class, school faculty insisted he remove and hand over his feather, or he would not be able to walk.
and..
Miles, a Regent Scholar and member of the Brookings Forensics team, made his argument to the counselors and administration citing state law. They stated that he had failed to have it approved early enough to be allowed to wear it. Asking me what to do via messaging, I told him to walk (never once thinking they would take it from him completely). He messaged me just as he processed that the eagle feather had been take from him.
The problem? The kid knew the 2018 law better than school administrators did.
13-1-66. Wearing of traditional tribal regalia or objects of cultural significance at school honoring or graduation ceremony to be permitted. The state, any of its political subdivisions, municipalities or subdivisions thereof shall not prohibit any person from wearing traditional tribal regalia or objects of cultural significance at a school honoring or graduation ceremony. For purposes of this section the term, tribal regalia or object of cultural significance, means an eagle feather or eagle plume.
A state law expressly noting “Shall not prohibit” doesn’t mean “with prior approval.” It pretty clearly means they have no business telling anyone “no.” The school administration screwed this one up.
I’m not sure I would want to be the school repossessing very federally protected eagle feathers from a student, either. But, I’m sure that is going to be a very minor detail in the kerfuffle to come.
Seems the student is correct. Can’t understand why his feather was confiscated. What am I missing?
Don’t think you’re missing anything. They screwed up, badly.
Seems like a circumstance where legality and courtesy point in the same direction –> allowing a graduate to honor his heritage.
So school officials were illegally in possession of eagle parts? Sounds like DNR should cite everyone who handled it along with a civil lawsuit against the district from the student and his family.
These fatcat administrators need to have their jobs removed, and be shame-marched down the length of the town. This, people, is why the fatcat administrators need to have their salaries slashed to the bone.
What’s the point of the petition?
The statute is on the books already.
Because the family wants to take the petition and all of its signatures to the School Board during a public meeting with them.
Well isn’t that special… how many signatures are required to get an apology?
Three
Actually, having just had a great seat at SDSU for seeing the rubbish the graduates stuck to their mortarboards, I think the law needs to be changed.
Glueing your Whopper wrapper or your last Solo cup to your mortarboard is now displaying item of cultural significance?
It’s undignified and needs to stop. The schools need to have the authority to prohibit the display of bad art, bad jokes and trash that graduates are sticking on their mortarboards.
Anne,
Those whopper wrappers and bedazzled hearts can be, and in most districts, are indeed outlawed. The law in this case is very clear and specific regarding tribal regalia. Basically they can (and should) ban anything except the eagle feather/plume which they have done here. Call up SDSU for the rest of it as that is totally their call.
Anonymous @8:54, are you saying a lei of empty beer cans is NOT a symbol of cultural significance?
I guess free speech is OK as long as you agree with it, right? And I’m wondering what qualifies you as the arbiter of “undignified”.
“Basically they can (and should) ban anything except the eagle feather/plume which they have done here.”
Would that make the public school guilty of establishing a specific religion?
I saw their petition on facebook… I totally agree that an apology and more is in order, but the demands in the petition go too far… up to and including two ex-officio seats on the Brookings school board…. Nope… One employee screwing up does not require a nuclear reaction.
Plus, once they raised the glory of Shawn Bordeaux in the petition, they lost my signature after the racist video of him I saw on this blog.
Brookings schools should apologize… maybe one guy gets reprimanded or released… The family should accept the apology and move on.
Change.org does make for some interesting reading… they have petitions for everything on there.
I’m sure the Brookings School Board will be impressed by a list of names of people they have never heard of, who don’t live in the school district. Yes indeedy.
People glue hamburger wrappers to their college graduation caps? Really?
I enjoy a tasty burger now and then, but come on.
Kinda makes you not want to be a friend of education, doesn’t it?
Affixing garbage to one’s headgear does not reflect much education. Without making the practice illegal, I’d encourage graduates to show more respect for the ceremony, for the institution, and for themselves.
I think a lot of them are just touting their new post-college employers.
during the last sports championship game you watched, did you wish the officiating would be so zealous that it would act in excess of the rules, and establish new standards of player behavior, and ensure that the ultimate sports event would conform to the highest behavioral standards possible? of course not. the final event ideally is about the players, not the refs. i’d err on the side of both requiring standards and still making room for personalization. most schools fumble their way through it just fine.
Next year I hope some CRs will paint “TRUMP” and “MAGA”
on their mortarboards and we can see how well that goes over.
Years ago, nobody would dream of wearing anything but proper academic regalia to a commencement exercise.
But now, anything qualifies as an “object of cultural significance” and the schools have their hands tied. The procession of graduates has turned into a circus parade.
It’s a dumb statute. It started out with good intentions but we can see the results. If it’s not going to be repealed It should be amended to allow the schools to require prior approval of whatever the graduates plan to wear.
Back when Anne Beal graduated, there was quite a flap when one diplomate wore leopard skin instead of the traditional mammoth hide.
ms beal OF COURSE “maga” will be blocked, nobody has fought and won that war yet.
I think the whole law is bad and should be repealed. Those of pioneering descent who celebrate their cultural heritage by attending rendezvous’ and shooting black powder rifles can carry their powder horn (empty of course) at graduation. The Irish can wear green, boy scouts their merit badge sashes, Christians a large cross or crucifix over their gown, those of Viking descent wear horns, and descendants of African tribes their traditions dress. I am sure you can add to the list.
Pretty soon you could have just a parade of costumes, none of which relate to the graduation ceremony. This law was passed as ‘feel good’ legislation, not realizing the unintended extent that to which it could be carried out. That is why I think it should be repealed.