Amelia Schafer
Special to ICT
Donned in traditional Navajo attire made by her grandmother and a yellow and white beaded cap, eighth-grade student Lilliana Ward was not allowed to walk at her May 30 graduation ceremony in Illinois due to the school’s “no decorations” policy.
Instead, Ward, Navajo and Choctaw, watched from afar from the gymnasium bleachers as her classmates were celebrated during commencement on the gym floor. Ward wore her school cap and gown along with traditional moccasins, a turquoise bracelet and her hair in a tsiiyeel or Navajo bun.
This happened despite a recently passed state bill that would allow students to wear identity-based attire to graduations.
Senate Bill 1446 was sparked after Evanston High School student Nimkii Curley, Navajo and Ojibwe, was denied walking at graduation last year due to his eagle feather, beaded cap and other cultural items. It has now been passed by both the state House and Senate and is awaiting a signature from the governor.
“Why do we have to have a bill and a law saying we can wear our regalia in order for us to receive achievements, to receive anything and to be recognized,” LeAnn Osby, Lilliana’s mother said. “I don’t understand that and I probably never will.”
While graduation season is an exciting time, there are still barriers to breakthrough, especially for Native students. Some states have laws that protect the right of students to wear regalia at graduation ceremonies. While others continue to deny Native students, some have led to new state bills being introduced and even lawsuits.
On May 30, Nizhoni Ward called James Hart Middle School and spoke with principal Kimberly Johnson to check if her younger sister, Lilliana, would be allowed to wear her beaded cap to the graduation ceremony that night. The school is located in Homewood, Illinois, just south of Chicago, and its eighth grade holds a commencement similar to high schools.
She was told no, that students weren’t allowed to “decorate” their graduation regalia.
“I was trying to tell her, we don’t look at this as a decoration, to call this a decoration is like saying our culture is a costume,” Nizhoni said.
Nizhoni graduated from James Hart Middle School and has on multiple occasions spoken there to students about Indigenous cultures. Until this point, the family had a positive relationship with the school.
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After her conversation with the principal, Nizhoni called district Superintendent Scott McAlister and informed him about the Senate bill, to which he said he would look into it. An hour later, Nizhoni said he called back to inform her that he agreed with the principal and that Lilliana would not be allowed to wear the “decorative” cap.
The family decided to still attend the graduation ceremony, with Lilliana dressed in her regalia, but that they would sit and watch. Nizhoni wore her Miss Indian Chicago crown, the girls’ grandmother donned traditional Navajo attire and her little sisters did as well to support Lilliana.
“As an Indigenous mother who grew up on the reservation and is from the reservation. I graduated in my traditional clothing and never had a problem and never thought I’d have a problem 20-plus years later,” Osby said.
So Osby took to Facebook to post about what had happened to her daughter, and Nizhoni posted on her social media profiles as well.
Other Indigenous Illinois families commented about similar experiences of their students not being allowed to wear cultural-based stoles or other items to their graduations.
The next day, Andrew Johnson, a community leader, told Osby that the principal had been trying to contact him to tell the family that Lilianna could walk; however, the family has not been contacted by the school since the event.
On the way to the event, the principal had tried to call Osby but did not leave a voicemail and Osby did not see the missed call until later.
“You saw us walk in, everybody saw us walk in, Nizhoni had a big crown on. We did not go down to the floor because I didn’t want to take that moment away from the graduates, so that’s why we stayed up top.”
No one from the school approached the family at the event to inform them that Lilianna was allowed to walk.
“We thought, if they want her to walk they’ll come and grab her,” Nizhoni said.
School representatives cite a lack of time to consider prior to the graduation ceremony as the reason for their denial.
McAlister, the superintendent, told ICT that the school is in no way opposed to allowing students to recognize their cultural or religious beliefs.
“If we were to allow exceptions for whatever reason, then I think this is a very valid reason, but we need to do so with thought and be fair to everyone that makes that request,” McAlister said. “I did not feel with four hours advanced notice that we had time to process this decision and engage in a conversation with the family about it. My regret is that they hadn’t reached out to us before to allow us to do research on our end.”
McAlister said that the school district will evaluate its code over the coming school year.
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