CEDAR CITY — Students in Utah who are members of an indigenous tribe are now free to wear tribal regalia to their high school graduation ceremonies if they so choose.
Student Tribal Regalia Use Amendments, designated as HB 30 in the 2022 Utah Legislature, recently passed unanimously in both the House and Senate. It now awaits the governor’s signature.
The language highlighting the bill’s provisions states that a local education agency, such as a school district or charter school director, “may not prohibit a qualifying student from wearing tribal regalia during a high school graduation ceremony.”
Qualifying students are those who belong to a Native American tribe, band, nation or Alaskan Native village that is recognized by federal law or that is acknowledged by a state.
In a telephone interview with St. George News on Tuesday, bill sponsor Rep. Angela Romero explained the reason behind the legislation.
Although there have been very few, if any, problems at the vast majority of high schools throughout the state, Romero said there have been a few cases where Native American students were told they couldn’t wear their regalia or were told conflicting information by school officials or those in charge of the ceremony.
In one instance, Romero said, a student was told she could wear traditional regalia, “but then the day of her graduation, they told her she couldn’t.”
“That’s one of the reasons why they (tribal leaders) asked me to run the bill,” Romero said, “so it doesn’t happen to another student like what happened last year, where she was told one thing and then she was told another thing.”
The bill passed the House unanimously on Jan. 18, followed by a favorable recommendation from the Senate Education Committee on Jan. 24.
Corrina Pikyavit-Bow, chairwoman of the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, told the Senate committee members that the Paiute tribal council “urges all schools to respect traditional, tribal, religious and spiritual beliefs by allowing Native American students to wear regalia and items of cultural and religious significance at celebrations, school events and graduation ceremonies, without negative consequences of doing so.”
A number of other states have already passed similar legislation, she added, mentioning several by name, including California, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota and Washington.
Pikyavit-Bow said allowing Native American students to honor their culture is especially important.
“Graduation from high school is a significant occasion for Native American students and their families,” she said, “especially when we consider that the national high school graduation rate among Native American Indians and Alaska Natives is only 74%, the lowest of any racial and ethnic demographic.”
Romero said she has asked Gov. Spencer Cox to conduct a ceremonial signing of the bill.
“That’s something I’m looking forward to doing, and we’re working that out with the governor and his staff,” she said.
“It’s about representing their communities and showing leadership and being role models for others in their community,” Romero added. “It’s much more symbolic and it’s connected to who they are as a community, both spiritually and culturally. I think it is a win-win for everyone.”
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