The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of North Dakota has initiated a survey to assess Indigenous students’ understanding of their rights, particularly concerning tribal regalia and cultural expression. This effort aims to enhance awareness and education about these rights within the state.
Survey Focuses on Cultural Expression Rights
According to Cody Schuler, advocacy manager for the North Dakota ACLU, the state offers legal protections outside the First Amendment for tribal regalia, making it one of 14 states with such provisions. Despite these protections, Schuler receives numerous inquiries each year from Indigenous students seeking clarification on their rights concerning tribal regalia in public schools.
“We’re always looking for ways to better understand how people understand their rights,” Schuler explained. “It is a constitutional right for them as United States citizens, especially those who were here before our constitution existed, to honor and revere those cultures.” He emphasized the importance of enabling individuals to express their identity and share their heritage.
The issue of tribal regalia in educational settings gained prominence in Grand Forks last spring when a group of parents reported that local school officials had prohibited Indigenous students from wearing traditional beadwork on their graduation caps. Following discussions, district leaders announced plans to introduce stoles for American Indian students starting this academic year.
Gathering Insights from Indigenous Students
The ACLU’s survey, distributed to Indigenous students throughout North Dakota via teachers, social media, and word of mouth, seeks to serve as a “temperature check” on students’ awareness of their rights regarding regalia and cultural expression. Comprising 18 questions, the survey aims to capture students’ experiences related to wearing tribal regalia during school ceremonies.
Students are asked whether they feel tribal regalia is treated differently compared to other cultural expressions, who decides on the allowance of regalia in their schools, and how restrictions on Indigenous cultural expression affect them personally. Additionally, the survey invites suggestions for improving the safeguarding of students’ cultural rights.
Schuler underlined the necessity of allowing Indigenous students to express their cultural identities during school events, noting that Indigenous culture is deeply woven into the fabric of North Dakotan communities. “It’s so important for our Indigenous people to be able to share their culture and to express their culture and their religion,” he stated. “This is North Dakota. The very name of our state is derived from Indigenous language.”
The ACLU, a nonprofit organization dedicated to defending First Amendment rights and combating censorship, is conducting this informal and non-scientific survey to collect valuable information. Schuler expressed hope that the results will lead to educational initiatives or policy changes. “It will give us a little bit of a pulse on what’s happening around the state,” he said.
