Majority of Bismarck-Mandan high school Native graduates will adorn eagle feathers on their big day

Community leaders assist students with feather trades

Amaya Willis, a senior at Legacy High School, will be among some 75 Native high school students from the Bismarck-Mandan area expected to graduate by week’s end. Most students will wear eagle feathers on graduation day to honor tribal traditions.

North Dakota Century Code 15.1-19-28 “prevents school districts or schools from establishing dress codes that prohibit students from wearing traditional tribal regalia, including eagle feathers, at graduation ceremonies.”

On Saturday, at 10 a.m., May 25, about 50 students attending Mandan, South Central, Bismarck, Century and Legacy high schools plan to participate in a feather-tying ceremony prior to a Sunday graduation. Students will attend the feather-tying event with a sponsor – their choice of a parent, grandparent, auntie, or uncle – and will be gifted eagle feathers or plumes to tie onto their graduation cap.

Annie High Elk, Mniconjou Lakota, a community leader who often assists Bismarkc Public Schools, helped local families with feather trades. High Elk made trades with students who contacted her about receiving a feather to wear on graduation day. “If it takes five minutes to find your feather, or if you are not drawn to any of them, I’ll pull out more. There’s no stress. There’s no worries,” she told students.

In the end, everyone finished the trade with a good feeling, said High Elk who will be a guest speaker at the feather-tying ceremony on Saturday.

Meanwhile, local educators have been organizing several events to recognize soon-to-be graduates. On April 27, an all-school powwow and honoring was held on the UTTC campus to celebrate area high school and college graduates.

“For all of us to come together and honor all of our Indigenous graduates at all the different levels, it’s really exciting, to bring that community together,” said Sashay Schettler, outgoing director of Bismarck Public Schools Indian education department. On June 5, she starts a new job as assistant director with the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction’s Multicultural and Indian Education team.

Schettler said she’s worked closely with the DPI for the last six years. “Now, it’s taking it to the next level and being able to take the energy we’ve built here in Bismarck Public Schools and helping support the rest of the state.”

The feathering-tying ceremony on Saturday marks Schettler’s last day with BPS. She’s led Indigenous education efforts in a district where Native students comprise 11 percent of the student population.

She worked with colleagues, such as Leah Hamann, UTTC’s early college coordinator, to help organize the all-schools powwow. Earlier, Hamann attended the University of Mary’s hooding ceremony, where five UTTC students earned degrees.

“You think of the first day they step into their intro to education class and then they graduate with their bachelor’s degree,” said Hamann. “And they are all in their classrooms right now. We have one who’s an administrator. It’s wonderful. There’s a sense of just robust pride knowing that they’re making a difference in the communities as Indigenous educators.”

Donovan Lambert, BPS cultural responsiveness coordinator, was enjoying the powwow activities. “We all collaborated in the community to be able to honor our graduates,” he said. “They’re taking the next step. A lot of them are going to college or joining the workforce after high school.”

Willis will be among those who attend college this fall. “It’s emotional,” she told Buffalo’s Fire. “I just realize life is getting real.”  She’s registered to attend the University of Minnesota-Morris, where she’s declared a major in human services addiction and substance counseling. She also plans to participate in track and field’s shotput, discus, hammer and weight throw competitions.

For those still in high school, she advises: “Find your crowd. Find people who contribute to your goals in life. You don’t want to stick around people who will keep you from reaching your goals.

“And have a good mindset,” said Willis. “No one is going to reach your goals except for you. No one is going to believe in yourself except for you. Do things for you.”