Post by blackcrowheart on May 16, 2006 14:10:02 GMT -5
6 seek to graduate in Native regalia
6 seek to graduate in Native regalia Officials at LaFayette High
School, which is one-fourth Native American, undecided. Meeting is
tonight. Friday, May 12, 2006By Elizabeth Doran
www.syracuse.com/news/poststandard/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1147424\
109288370.xml&coll=1&thispage=1
Six LaFayette High School seniors want the district to let them graduate
wearing their traditional Native American regalia, but school officials
aren't sure they'll allow it.
School administrators have scheduled a closed informational meeting for
seniors and their parents at 6 p.m. today to discuss the request and get
feedback. Officials say they're not opposed to the request, but want to
ensure everyone's viewpoint is considered before they make a
precedent-setting decision.
Marcia Lyons, 18, who lives on the Onondaga Nation, is leading the
effort to wear the regalia, which is traditionally worn at ceremonies
and significant events.
<http://ads.nj.com/RealMedia/ads/click_nx.ads/www.nj.com/xml/story/posts\
tandard/n/nesreg/@storyad?x>
"A cap and gown isn't our tradition," said Lyons. "We want to show our
pride in our cultural heritage by wearing our regalia."
Six of nine LaFayette seniors who are Native Americans want to wear the
regalia, Lyons said. About one-quarter of the high school's students are
Native American. There are 54 seniors.
For her senior project, Lyons is making her own regalia, a short-sleeved
below-the-knee light brown dress with a maroon-flowered pattern. A
longer maroon skirt is worn under the dress, along with cloth leggings.
There's also a yoke, or beaded collar, for around the dress's neckline,
moccasins and two white leather hair extensions.
The other five, all males, would wear ribbon shirts with a breechcloth
and leggings, and moccasins and headdresses.
Lyons asked Principal Paula Cowling a few weeks ago if it would be
acceptable to wear regalia at graduation and hasn't received an answer.
An informal survey of students in senior government classes showed half
of them were opposed, Lyons said. After Lyons and seniors Kevin
Wilkerson and Jeremy Thompson visited the classes to discuss their
reasons, many students changed their minds, she said.
"At first, a lot of students were opposed to it because they thought it
was disrespectful and breaking years of tradition," Lyons said. "But
after hearing us, the general reaction was if it's that important to
you, we can live with it."
Page 2 of 2
Senior Charlie Huff wants to wear his regalia, just as he did at his
eighth-grade graduation from the Onondaga Nation School.
"I don't see why it's such a big deal," he said "I'm really surprised
about how big an issue it's becoming. We wear our regalia to
celebrations. If you're trying to promote diversity, not letting us do
this would go against that."
LaFayette Superintendent Mark Mondanaro said the district isn't opposed,
but wants to proceed cautiously.
<http://ads.nj.com/RealMedia/ads/click_nx.ads/www.nj.com/xml/story/posts\
tandard/n/nesreg/@storyad?x>
"When we have something brought to our attention that has the potential
to polarize people to a degree, we can't just say yes or no," she said.
"We're not stringing it out, but we need to think it through and hear
people's thoughts on this. What do seniors think? It would be
disrespectful if we didn't hear their feelings."
Mondanaro said it's important for seniors and their families to hear the
cultural importance of this request. The meeting where the discussion
will take place won't be open to the public or media, he said. Mondanaro
said he doesn't expect to make a decision Friday.
Huff's mother, Trudy Shenandoah, said she won't attend because she
doesn't see anything to discuss. "It's not an issue," she said. "We
should be able to express ourselves. They seem to want to suppress our
culture and beliefs."
Several seniors say they've been advised by staff not to comment
publicly on the issue. Alex Stowe, senior class co-president, would only
say, "It's best for us to make this decision together as a community."
Lyons said she'll probably skip the ceremony if she can't wear her
regalia. But it wouldn't make sense to ban the regalia, she said. When
the Haudenosaunee flag was first raised outside the high school in 2003,
the idea was to recognize that Native Americans are a major part of the
school community.
"If they say we can't wear our regalia to graduation, that contradicts
the whole purpose of the flag," she said.
6 seek to graduate in Native regalia Officials at LaFayette High
School, which is one-fourth Native American, undecided. Meeting is
tonight. Friday, May 12, 2006By Elizabeth Doran
www.syracuse.com/news/poststandard/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1147424\
109288370.xml&coll=1&thispage=1
Six LaFayette High School seniors want the district to let them graduate
wearing their traditional Native American regalia, but school officials
aren't sure they'll allow it.
School administrators have scheduled a closed informational meeting for
seniors and their parents at 6 p.m. today to discuss the request and get
feedback. Officials say they're not opposed to the request, but want to
ensure everyone's viewpoint is considered before they make a
precedent-setting decision.
Marcia Lyons, 18, who lives on the Onondaga Nation, is leading the
effort to wear the regalia, which is traditionally worn at ceremonies
and significant events.
<http://ads.nj.com/RealMedia/ads/click_nx.ads/www.nj.com/xml/story/posts\
tandard/n/nesreg/@storyad?x>
"A cap and gown isn't our tradition," said Lyons. "We want to show our
pride in our cultural heritage by wearing our regalia."
Six of nine LaFayette seniors who are Native Americans want to wear the
regalia, Lyons said. About one-quarter of the high school's students are
Native American. There are 54 seniors.
For her senior project, Lyons is making her own regalia, a short-sleeved
below-the-knee light brown dress with a maroon-flowered pattern. A
longer maroon skirt is worn under the dress, along with cloth leggings.
There's also a yoke, or beaded collar, for around the dress's neckline,
moccasins and two white leather hair extensions.
The other five, all males, would wear ribbon shirts with a breechcloth
and leggings, and moccasins and headdresses.
Lyons asked Principal Paula Cowling a few weeks ago if it would be
acceptable to wear regalia at graduation and hasn't received an answer.
An informal survey of students in senior government classes showed half
of them were opposed, Lyons said. After Lyons and seniors Kevin
Wilkerson and Jeremy Thompson visited the classes to discuss their
reasons, many students changed their minds, she said.
"At first, a lot of students were opposed to it because they thought it
was disrespectful and breaking years of tradition," Lyons said. "But
after hearing us, the general reaction was if it's that important to
you, we can live with it."
Page 2 of 2
Senior Charlie Huff wants to wear his regalia, just as he did at his
eighth-grade graduation from the Onondaga Nation School.
"I don't see why it's such a big deal," he said "I'm really surprised
about how big an issue it's becoming. We wear our regalia to
celebrations. If you're trying to promote diversity, not letting us do
this would go against that."
LaFayette Superintendent Mark Mondanaro said the district isn't opposed,
but wants to proceed cautiously.
<http://ads.nj.com/RealMedia/ads/click_nx.ads/www.nj.com/xml/story/posts\
tandard/n/nesreg/@storyad?x>
"When we have something brought to our attention that has the potential
to polarize people to a degree, we can't just say yes or no," she said.
"We're not stringing it out, but we need to think it through and hear
people's thoughts on this. What do seniors think? It would be
disrespectful if we didn't hear their feelings."
Mondanaro said it's important for seniors and their families to hear the
cultural importance of this request. The meeting where the discussion
will take place won't be open to the public or media, he said. Mondanaro
said he doesn't expect to make a decision Friday.
Huff's mother, Trudy Shenandoah, said she won't attend because she
doesn't see anything to discuss. "It's not an issue," she said. "We
should be able to express ourselves. They seem to want to suppress our
culture and beliefs."
Several seniors say they've been advised by staff not to comment
publicly on the issue. Alex Stowe, senior class co-president, would only
say, "It's best for us to make this decision together as a community."
Lyons said she'll probably skip the ceremony if she can't wear her
regalia. But it wouldn't make sense to ban the regalia, she said. When
the Haudenosaunee flag was first raised outside the high school in 2003,
the idea was to recognize that Native Americans are a major part of the
school community.
"If they say we can't wear our regalia to graduation, that contradicts
the whole purpose of the flag," she said.
