It’s graduation season, and students are getting ready to put on their caps and gowns to celebrate this rite of passage. For many Indigenous students, this milestone event cannot be fully realized without wearing traditional tribal regalia, which are sacred markers of achievement, tradition, and connection with ancestors.

American Civil Liberties Union

Protecting Indigenous Students' Right to Wear Tribal Regalia | American Civil Liberties Union

Indigenous students should be able to celebrate their graduation and their cultural and religious heritage.

In some states, however, students are prohibited from displaying their Indigenous identity through tribal regalia, such as feathers or beads, braids, or long hair. Schools have historically been used as a tool to forcibly assimilate Indigenous children, making today’s bans even more harmful to Indigenous communities. This history makes tribal regalia a source of empowerment for Indigenous students as they reclaim their identity and honor their ancestors.

These interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity.

Tribal regalia can take many forms and differs from tribe to tribe. Each detail signifies a part of the tribe’s history, traditions, or beliefs — including colors, beadwork, and patterns — and it often takes many hours of work and several community or family members to produce an item. Regalia is usually handed down from elders and is worn for special occasions like graduation ceremonies.

“Our regalia has stories in it. It tells us about who we are as people. It tells the story of us and it allows us to show the world: Here’s who I am, and I’m proud to be Indigenous Choctaw.” — Isabella, Choctaw Nation

Credit: Jordan Nicks

“In many of our tribes, tribal regalia are sacred items, like you receive a feather for an accomplishment, for something you earn. It isn’t something that you simply take or wear. Somebody has to give it to you. And it signifies this milestone, something that you have really achieved.” — Sarah, Choctaw Nation

“Everyone has a story to tell about the clothing, shoes, and hair that we choose to wear. When I graduated from Saint Francis Indian School, I was honored with the plume. Our babies got their Lakota names. They were honored with poems.” — Norma, Rosebud Sioux

“It’s important to me to be proud and to show the sacrifices my ancestors made and show the younger generation that they don’t have to be scared. It’s okay to be different from everybody else and to show off your tribe.” — Nataya, Choctaw Nation

“What’s super cool about our regalia is that it takes different community members to make it. Maybe you make your collar necklace, and maybe your mother is making your moccasins or your auntie is making your shawl. It’s like you are carrying your community with you when you wear your regalia, and there’s something about it that gives you a sense that you’re a part of something bigger, that you’re a part of a community and a people that have been here since the beginning that have survived atrocities that I will never understand.” — Sarah, Choctaw Nation

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“This diamond trim that goes all around my apron and the trim of my dress and my cuffs and around my collar … reflects the Diamondback rattlesnake. Choctaw hold a really high regard for this snake, because it was very fundamental in our upbringing as a culture. We were farmers back in the day and would grow our crops to sustain our people. Pests like mice would get into our crops, but the snake would feed on the mice. So we hold it in high regard because it protected our food. We honor it as a protector of our people.” — Isabella, Choctaw Nation

“My little brother went to a Christian academy to start going to school there, but they told him his hair was too long and he needed to cut it to be able to go to school there. … They said it was a distraction. So we left the school and did not go back because it wasn’t an option to cut his hair at the time. And he was still very little.” — Nataya, Choctaw Nation

“I have a major sister who graduated, and somebody actually pulled her feather out while she was at graduation, like before she walked the stage, they took it.” — Sarah, Choctaw Nation

Credit: Jordan Nicks

“I was considering maybe wearing a feather or having my cap beaded because I had heard stories about people who didn’t get to have that, people who had to hide that part of themselves, and people even going as far as maybe taking it from them, which is one of the most disrespectful things that you could do to an Indigenous person. So that fear was definitely in me at this time. Might that happen to me? Might that be something that I have to worry about?” — Isabella, Choctaw Nation

“It’s heartbreaking that our kids have to overcome barriers in their education, that they just can’t go and be who they are.” — Sarah, Choctaw Nation

Up until 1960, the federal government worked with churches to implement an Indian Boarding School policy, which removed Indigenous children from their families and sent them away for re-education in boarding schools far from home. The stated intent of this program was to “kill the Indian, save the man.” As such, children would be “punished for speaking their native language, banned from acting in any way that might be seen to represent traditional or cultural practices, stripped of traditional clothing, hair and personal belongings and behaviors reflective of their native culture.” By 1925, 60,889 children had been sent to these schools — nearly 80 percent of school-age Indigenous children.

Today, Indigenous history is still being erased in schools, where most curriculums do not include Indigenous genocide and erasure despite its centrality to U.S. history.

“My grandmother was put in costume native clothing for people who would come to the boarding school so that she would look like the stereotypical pan-Indian person. So to be able to wear our actual clothes, to be able to represent as a Choctaw person was huge. It was pivotal in my identity.” — Sarah, Choctaw Nation

Credit: Doug Barrett

“In 1879, when boarding schools became mandatory, Indigenous students were given military style quills in place of their regalia. Their hair was cut. They were given Christian names. This was the start of American genocide.” — Norma, Rosebud Sioux

“Whenever I think about this issue of people not wanting Indigenous kids to express their Indigeneity at graduation, it reminds me that these systems were never put in place with our well-being in mind … It wasn’t until my mom’s generation that the Freedom of Religion Act was passed, and they’re the first generation that were allowed to practice their culture and ceremonial ways without going to jail for it. So it really puts things into perspective when we still encounter these issues to this day, because we’re not as far along as we think we are.” — Isabella, Choctaw Nation

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“I wished I was taught more about, like, how we got to this point where we’re one of the more impoverished places in this country, you know? How did that happen and what caused that? I do know some of the answers but I didn’t learn it from school. I really had to self-educate.” — Wyatt, Ochete Shakowi Nation

“I was born in 1978, and that’s when it was finally legal for us to speak our language, to sing our songs, to practice our ceremonies without going to jail. So this reclamation of identity is huge.” — Sarah, Choctaw Nation

“This is a day of celebration for these students. And whenever a feather is given in these communities, it’s one of the highest honors that you can bestow upon someone. And it’s important to show your community this honor, to show people that your community is behind you and you have this honor. … And whenever we allow these kids to express themselves, we raise them to be strong and we raise them to be proud of who they are. So it’s incredibly important that we’re allowed to do this on this day. — Isabella, Choctaw Nation

“It makes me feel proud and ambitious.” — Nataya, Choctaw Nation

Credit: Jordan Nicks

“It’s something that will be pivotal for them, something that will mean something to them when they are old and gray, when they’re looking at their memories of their education, of their childhood. And they will point back and they will look at that picture of themselves graduating and being fully Indigenous with their feather, with their beaded cap in their regalia in whatever way that they’re choosing to express themselves.” — Sarah, Choctaw Nation

“Representing yourself in your culture is an honor and everybody should be able to do it.” — Isabella, Choctaw Nation

The ACLU is working in states across the country to stop tribal regalia and hair bans, including in Nebraska, where we filed a lawsuit on behalf of Alice Johnson and Norma LeRoy, whose two children’s hair was cut by a school employee in violation of their traditional and religious Lakota beliefs. In Nebraska, we’re asking the state legislature to pass LB 630, a bill that would explicitly prohibit discrimination based on students’ racial, cultural, or religious attributes, including their hair, headdress, and tribal regalia. And in Oklahoma, we’re advocating for SB 429, new legislation that would allow students enrolled in certain schools or institutions to wear tribal regalia during graduation ceremonies.

“Understand that everybody has their own beliefs, their own cultures, their own religions, and not everyone celebrates accomplishments wearing suits and ties.” — Alice, Rosebud Sioux.

Credit: Doug Barrett

“Everyone has an identity. Who we are. It doesn’t matter what race. We should be given the right to express that.” — Norma, Rosebud Sioux

“We are only bolstering our community when we have healthy children, when we have children who are tied to their cultural ways. That only strengthens the community. And when we have healthy kids and strong kids, we have a stronger state, we have a healthier community, and there is nothing but goodness in that.” — Sarah, Choctaw Nation

“Since the American genocide in the 1700s, we’ve been fighting for who we are, fighting for what we believe in, and fighting for our ceremonial practices. And through it all, we’ve shown to be resilient people, strong people. We’ve overcome everything that the government has thrown at us. We have our beliefs, our cultures and religions, our ceremonies and our connections with our ancestors. We carry our names proudly, and we are compassionate, humble people. And we only want what’s fair, respect who we are, respect our beliefs and respect what we live in practice.” — Alice, Rosebud Sioux

“We’re still here and we still deserve a voice, you know, and we still deserve to be talked about. And like, you can’t hide from us that what happened happened. You know, let’s learn from it. Let’s really learn. Because a society that doesn’t learn from their history is doomed to repeat it. And so why are we hiding from what happened? Let’s take it and let’s learn from it.” — Wyatt, Ochete Shakowi Nation

American Civil Liberties Union

Share Your Story: Tribal Regalia at Graduation

If your school is refusing to let you wear tribal regalia at graduation, let us know.

“The fact that we get to live in a time right now where reclamation is happening is exciting. I hope that we all get to be a piece of that, whether that’s by emailing our legislators, talking to them, explaining what regalia is encouraging them to support our community and be a part of this celebration. I can’t wait to see all of these kids walking across the stage and beaming. It’s going to be a good day.” — Sarah, Choctaw Nation

“We should be allowed to express who we are. We shouldn’t have to hide who we are on this day. So please listen to us when we’re saying these things and please genuinely take it to heart and consider it, because this is something that Indigenous students need and it doesn’t hurt anybody.” — Isabella, Choctaw Nation

Known as the “land of steady habits,” Connecticut represents a microcosm of the racist legacy of voter suppression nationwide — but that might change soon.

While some people think of Connecticut as progressive, in truth, we’re behind on protecting the right to vote: Connecticut is one of only four states that does not have in-person early voting, one of only 15 states without no-excuse absentee voting, and is in the bottom half of states for individual voters when it comes to our personal costs, in time and effort, for us to vote. All of this is a vestige of Connecticut’s long, racist history of trying to restrict Black, Indigenous, and Puerto Rican voters’ power — our state shamefully was the creator of literacy tests.

Like most states, though, Connecticut also has a proud history of voters, led by voters of color, fighting for better access to the ballot box. In the past five years alone, Connecticut has banned prison gerrymandering and restored the right to vote for people on parole.

This year, the state is poised to pass a bill implementing early voting. Given Connecticut’s sordid history of voter suppression, this would be an historic move.

In 2022, Connecticut voters overwhelmingly voted for a ballot question that allows the legislature to pass a law removing the barrier to early voting from the state Constitution. Ultimately, early voting was more popular than any candidate for statewide or congressional office and than the majority of contested state legislative candidates. Now, legislators in the Senate must pass a bill before them that lays out the logistics of how early voting will work, including the days, hours, and locations for early voting. The House of Representatives passed the bill last week.

In our state and across the nation, voting on Election Day is easy for many people, but not for everyone. Voters are busy — especially those of us who have historically been excluded from flexing our power at the polls: working people, especially working parents; voters of color; voters with disabilities; elderly voters; LGBTQ voters; women; and people at the intersections of these identities. Because of interlocking systems of injustice, many would-be voters have very little predictably-scheduled, paid, free time off and often face long lines on Election Day.

Early voting would give more voters the flexibility we need to cast our ballots on the day or time that works for us and our families. That’s why we’re asking the Connecticut General Assembly to pass a bill that includes at least 14 days of early voting in the 30 days before Election Day; at least one Saturday and one Sunday of early voting; early voting hours that include evenings and early mornings; and accessible, equitably distributed early voting polling locations.

The majority (52 percent) of Connecticut voters of color say they would vote early at least sometimes if given the option, and 65 percent of Black voters say they would vote early, according to a poll conducted on behalf of the ACLU of Connecticut Rise PAC. When asked why they would vote earlyConnecticut voters of color mentioned work or family obligations, being unable to make it to the polls on Election Day, a need for flexibility, and long lines on Election Day.

“A lot of us older people, it’s hard to get around,” a voter in Waterbury added. “Health issues and others hamper our way.” These stories are not unique. When we knocked on more than 1,000 doors ahead of last November’s early voting ballot question, we heard time and again how people want to vote, but need to work, take care of family members, and don’t have the luxury of waiting in long lines.

Expanding our options to include early voting is particularly important for pushing back against the shameful history of the government-sanctioned suppression of Black, Latinx, LGBTQ+, working class, and disabled voters.

Because of systemic racism, the government often under-resources Black and Latinx voting precincts, leading to especially long wait times. In Connecticut, for instance, voters in majority Black areas wait, on average, more than 9 minutes longer than voters in majority white neighborhoods. Early voting could help ease the congestion on Election Day by giving people the chance to vote on other days.

Nationwide, almost half of all LGBTQ+ voters (46%), more than six in 10 trans voters, and nearly three in four BIPOC trans voters (71%) have been barred from voting in at least one election because of barriers such as inconvenient polling times and locations or childcare responsibilities. Early voting would offer more flexibility for people to vote at the time that works for them and their family.

People who are low income are more likely to work in jobs without paid time off or predictable work schedules, making early voting critical for working people to cast our ballots at a time that fits our schedules.

During the 2020 election, disabled voters were almost twice as likely to experience barriers to voting compared to nondisabled voters. Early voting would give disabled voters more opportunity to use the voting option that best meets their needs.

Democracy shouldn’t be a luxury, and our democracy is strongest when it fully reflects our communities. Early voting won’t solve all of our challenges, but it is a critical step toward making sure our democracy includes all voters.

We implore the Senate to pass early voting without delay. Our democracy will be so much stronger because of it.

For decades, the ACLU has worked alongside our allies to protect the right to seek asylum. Families and individuals have long sought safety in the United States after fleeing danger in their home countries, and those with a “well-founded fear of persecution” on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group have the right to apply for asylum. This is longstanding law, clearly established following the atrocities of World War II. Yet many administrations have steadily chipped away at the right to asylum, leaving countless people in need of safety adrift and in danger.

Here, three advocates discuss why they do this work, and why we must keep sounding the alarm as attacks on asylum persist. We will always show up to defend the right to asylum, and stand with those who seek it.

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These interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity.

Credit: Damien Drake

“I was born and raised in Mexico City. My father came to the U.S. when I was a kid. I remember missing him a lot. When I was 13, we went to visit him in Houston. When I saw him, I told my mom and my dad I didn’t want to go back. So my younger brother and I stayed. I didn’t speak any English when I arrived, so I started ESL classes, and was lucky to get into a boarding school. My father was so, so proud of me.

“Years later, he passed away in a car accident. But no one contacted our family. I believe it was because they thought he was just another undocumented immigrant and no one would care. My dad was a handyman, and we didn’t find out he had died until days later even though he had his phone on him and his driver’s license with his address on it. We learned about his death when someone who he had hired to help him do a job called to ask about it. My dad’s phone was with his car at a junkyard, and the owner of the junkyard just happened to answer and let the caller know the owner of the phone had passed away.

“So many people could’ve called us — the paramedics, the police, the people at the morgue — and they didn’t. That was what made me decide to go to law school. I said, ‘Okay, I cannot do anything for my dad at this point, but there’s so many people like him, whose rights are trampled on, who are not seen as human beings, who are seen as dispensable. This is how I can honor his legacy.’

“There are people at the border who are trying to seek asylum because they are running for their lives. For example, my husband is here on Temporary Protected Status from Honduras. He has family members who have been killed. I have family members in Mexico who have been kidnapped by the cartel. So I know firsthand that this is real. This is not theoretical — these are people who are dying. The law says you should be able to come and seek asylum if you’re being persecuted. But right now, the U.S. is making it really difficult to do so.

“I lead our political advocacy work on immigrants’ rights at the ACLU. With this job, I’m able to use whatever God-given talent I have to fight for people who are seeking asylum, for families to remain united, for families like mine. To be able to use all of my time and energy to do this work for immigrant communities is a privilege.

“We are human beings. And like so many human beings, we’re going to do the best we can to provide for our families, for ourselves, and to contribute to society. There’s this idea of us vs. them, but in the end, we’re in this together. We’re all part of the same community, the same fabric, and so we should all be protecting each other.”

Credit: Damien Drake

“After World War II, we said we would never send people back to danger without at least giving them a hearing. But we have abandoned that commitment over the last three years. Unfortunately, the Biden administration looks too much like the Trump administration when it comes to immigration policy, and they have effectively shut the border down to people fleeing danger. So we’re fighting in Congress, in court, and in every way we possibly can to ensure that people have fair access to apply for asylum.

“For many people, the border is simply out of sight, out of mind. And I think what’s happening is the human dimension is being lost in a discussion of aggregate numbers and abstract policy arguments. What we’re seeing at the border are real people fleeing grave danger, and we are sending them back into that grave danger.

“I’ve been at the ACLU for 30 years working on these issues. One of our strengths is that we have many different ways of going about our advocacy. But ultimately, we often have to go to court, and that’s my role. This work is ultimately about our clients. When you see these families and what they’re going through, and that they’re remaining optimistic and trying to persevere, I can’t imagine not keeping up the fight.

“The American public should not be turning their back on what’s happening — and it’s our challenge as advocates to convey that. The U.S. should not be sending people back into danger after denying them an asylum hearing. We are the richest country in the world; we cannot shirk our responsibility.

“The ACLU is the largest civil rights nonprofit legal organization in the country. It doesn’t matter what administration is in power. If the Biden administration simply substitutes one Trump administration immigration policy for the other, we’ll be back in court immediately. If we believe the local, state, or federal government is violating your civil rights or civil liberties, we will stand by your side and try to help you.”

“My family’s from Afghanistan. I was born in Kabul. There’s a lot of turmoil now in Afghanistan, and there has been for the past four decades. When I was born, it was just as the Soviet Union was leaving and things were getting really tense. So when I was 5 years old, my family had to be smuggled out. My parents, who were diplomats, were being persecuted, along with my grandmother. We went to India, and then to China. Those countries weren’t safe for us, but luckily we were able to get to San Francisco, where we had family, and we sought and were granted asylum there. I didn’t understand what was happening as a little kid, but now, when we talk about families fleeing and transiting through other countries, this is exactly that case.

“Today, I’m the interim campaign manager for Welcome With Dignity, where I work on our campaign for asylum rights. We are a coalition of 100 different organizations, including the ACLU. The ACLU was one of our founding organizations, and having them as a leading organization in the campaign is an incredible strength — incredible lawyers and strategists show up when we need them, inform us what our options are, and how we can fight back.

“For me, the fight for asylum is incredibly personal. I think about what my life might look like today, if I were seeking asylum — as a gay man in Afghanistan, who came from this family that was already being persecuted. I wouldn’t be alive. Anyone else in my shoes deserves the same protection and welcome that we received here in the United States.

“People seeking asylum are regular people. They’re moms and kids, fighting for what they believe is right. They are people who didn’t want to join a cartel or a gang and were told to leave, or face murder. And they are people who, by all rights, we should want here in the U.S., because they’re doing anything they can to protect their families.

“President Biden has introduced a rule that would bar people from seeking safety in the U.S. if they went through a third country. So if you leave your home country, go through another country and then come to the U.S. — like my family did — you won’t be eligible for asylum. But that’s a fundamental misunderstanding of what these refugees are running from. And it has such incredible disparate impacts on poor people, Black people, Indigenous people, and LGBTQ people. What President Biden effectively is saying is you can only seek safety in the U.S. if you’re rich enough to buy a plane ticket. It’s incredibly cruel, and goes back to one of the darkest moments of our history as a country — when we turned away ships of people fleeing the Holocaust.

“It’s so disappointing that we have to have this fight now under this administration. But we’re here to show up. We have to keep at this work because people’s lives are on the line. We have a challenge in front of us, but I’m proud of the work that we do.”

American Civil Liberties Union

Biden Must Reverse Plans to Revive Deadly Trump-era Asylum Bans | ACLU

The administration’s proposed tweaks to Trump’s bans are mere window-dressing on policies that will still inflict needless suffering.