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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 15, 2011)
12 Smoke Signals OCTOBER 15, 2011 ReyinioDdls Moglh ScDddoD woID allow ffeaftlhieB' FEATHER continued from front page daughter wearing an eagle feather on her cap for graduation)," Driver said. In reaction, the Reynolds School District has spoken strongly for the value of preserving Tribal cultural practices during its graduation ceremonies. Like nature that throws out thousands of seeds for a single tree, Driver set state and Tribal bureau cracies in motion to see Mykilee wearing an eagle feather beside the tassel on her graduation cap when she graduates in June 2012. In 10 days, Tonie did a ton of research on the subject, contacted authorities at her Tribe and many others across Oregon in the pro cess. She tells another part of the tale in an e-mail to Connie Philibert, executive assistant to Reynolds School District Superintendent Joyce Henstrand. Philibert handled the case early on for the district. The initial rejection from Reyn olds High School came from as sistant principal Wade Bakely, who told her that "the school has a no-adornment policy for graduation attire; it has been in place for years; it can't be changed; exceptions will not be made." As Driver pressed for a look at the written policy, she felt the frus tration in Bakely's voice. She felt intimidated, but the louder his voice became, the softer her voice became, but she pursued her questions. "They really don't have the au thority (to block Native American cultural practices)," she said. Driver knew because last year she served as chair of the district's Title VII Committee. She asked Bakely whether school policy could trump federal law guaranteeing Native Americans the right to their cultural and religious practices, but to no avail. So she started calling around to see if help was available. Driver did not know that she already had a friend in the district superintendent's office. "There is no denying that Reyn olds (High School) inappropriately denied her first request," said Hen strand. "There is a non-adornment policy, not a policy, a practice, at the high school, but there is no policy around it. 'Their goals are admirable. Grad uation ceremonies used to be a bit rowdy without much decorum." Reynolds High School banned adornment on students at gradua tion and it was successful in bring ing decorum to the ceremony. "It was successful," Henstrand said, "but we can't do that at the expense of a student who has a religious need or practice that it would violate. We have to have the decorum and some degree of practice that makes us proud while being flexible enough to serve the religious and cultural needs of our students." Driver, however, was already in motion. Among her stops was the Portland office of the Confeder ated Tribes of Grand Ronde, where Mykilee at tends culture classes each week. Staff pointed her to Tribal member and Education Department Manager April Campbell. Campbell remembered the time, two years ago, when a Tribal member graduated from another school in Oregon. "When Tonie called, I said, 'I'm tired of hearing this,' " Campbell said. "A lot of times, students will wear regalia. (This graduate) had a beaded cap and the principal took it off his head on his way up to receive his diploma. These types of actions occur all too often. I worked with the school's Parent-Teacher Com mittee, with the principal at the high school, and the superinten dent of the district. I wasn't able to make any headway as the district wouldn't bend." "I cannot believe this," Driver told Campbell. "It's a ceremonial thing. Different Tribes have different tra ditions, but this is unified within Tribes. All recognize the eagle feath er as a sign of accomplishment." For Mykilee's part, "I was really disappointed because any other high school that is near a reserva tion and has Native students in it is allowed to wear eagle feathers on their caps. I just didn't think that they would say, 'No,' and not be aware of what a great honor this is." Campbell pointed Driver to Kar en Quigley, executive director of the Oregon Legislative Commission on Indian Services in Salem. "She's a shaker and a mover," Campbell said. 'There's an ongoing need to edu cate all Oregonians about the sig nificance of Tribal traditions," said Quigley. Quigley brought the story in the Education Cluster, a tool of Oregon's government-to-government program bringing together state agencies with Tribal entities to improve communi cation and solve problems. "It's an incredibly effective tool," Quigley said. She also spoke with other Tribal representa tives from the Govern on e n t -1 o -Government Education Cluster that included Campbell and Steve Wood cock at the Department of Education, the Indian education li aison. "Anecdotally," Quigley said, "this was enough of an issue, and it brings up in the broader context how Native kids are treated in the school system. Is the culture seen as something positive? Or are they uncomfortable in the school system? That's a recurring theme for us." Quigley asked Campbell to con firm that the Oregon University System honors cultural practices for Native Americans and to use that model to convince high schools of the acceptability of the practice. "Sometimes," Quigley said, "it's good to see what other parts of the system are doing. When it turned out that wearing regalia for gradua tion was fine with Oregon's colleges and universities, it stood as a model for the high school." Despite the personal turmoil for the Driver family and for the Reyn olds School District, the problem went up the appropriate chain of command. After rejection at the school level, Driver went to the superintendent's office where "Connie (Philibert, executive assistant) met with Tonie and heard the request," said dis trict Communications Coordinator Andrea Watson. "She talked to the superintendent. She talked to the parents. She said it would be fine to have her feather for graduation. The high school said, 'No,' but at the second step, the school decision was overturned and we told Tonie we would allow that. That's just the way it is supposed to work. "We don't have a specific policy, but we do have a district initiative (diversity training) that we've been working on for several years." The initiative stresses "prin ciples of diversity, race, that differ ences matter," and focuses on "the achievement gap," Watson said. For the 2010-11 school year, 1 percent of the Reynolds district's 11,200 students were Native Amer ican, Watson said, but even with the small percentage, she recog nized that "this is a significant cultural issue." Although Henstrand immediate ly saw the value of the traditional practice, saying, "I have been an advocate of rights of people of color for years. I have plaques on my wall for this. ... When Connie brought Ms. Driver's issue forward, I im mediately said, 'Of course she can wear her feather.' " Henstrand said she had to in quire about the appropriateness of certain aspects of the request. Did Driver have the right to own the eagle feather? Was she truly a Tribal member? Ten days after Driver's initial request at Reynolds High School, Henstrand made official her first reaction to the problem. She over ruled the high school and gave permission for Mykilee to wear an eagle feather next to the tassel on her graduation cap. Next June, Mykilee will become the first Reynolds High School graduate to wear the eagle feather on her cap during graduation. "When Mykilee first heard that she wouldn't be able to wear the eagle feather, she said she was go ing to wear it anyway," Tonie said. "But I told her, 'We're going to do it the right way, with honor.' And she's like, 'OK'." Meanwhile, many of the seeds Driver planted continue to grow across the state. There is no statewide policy re garding adornments on graduation dress, according to Christine Miles, communications director for the Oregon Education Department. "Susan (Castillo) was aware of this situation," said Miles. "They are looking to see if they need to address a statewide policy to make it clear what's accepted and what's not." "It has been solved at Reynolds," said Quigley, "and that will stand as a model for other schools." "We're meeting with the government-to-government group Nov. 9 and 10," said Campbell, "and the Tribes are going to bring it up to that level as well." B Dr. Ashley Nunley Chiropractor X & toe CTGR-Portland Office . 4445 SW BarburBlvd. Suite 101 '? Portland, Or 97239 Tuesdays only Patients need to call the Wellness Center patient registration to make their appointments or cancel ? 503-879-2002 . Tribal members with Skooum health plan make your appointment now, start feeling better today. J Ad created by George Valdez Zumba held in gym Zumba, an easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired and calorie-burning dance fitness party, is held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday and Wednesday in the Tribal gymnasium. The first class is free and $6 thereafter for drop-ins, or $5 if participants purchase a punch card. For more information, contact Tribal Recreation Coordinator Alton Butler at 503-879-1369. B 'It's a ceremonial thing. Different Tribes have different traditions, but this is unified within Tribes. All recognize the eagle feather as a sign of accomplishment. ' Tonie Driver
