Tribal regalia removal at graduation sparks legislation

By Alyssa Munoz

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    New Mexico (KOAT) — The removal of tribal regalia graduation cap in Farmington sparked efforts to change the state’s law.

Last May, Farmington High School officials removed a graduate’s cap because it had tribal beads and a feather on it.

“For someone to just, you know, take something away and in a very disrespectful way. I think that probably shocked those of us more,” said Sen. Benny Shendo Jr.

Shendo Jr. and Rep. Doreen Wonda Johnson introduced a bill to prevent an incident like this from happening again.

“I think in New Mexico, we’ve always honored our traditions and so forth. So, it’s kind of sad that we have to pass a law because many other states have it. We never had to encounter anything like this over these years,” said Shendo Jr.

A 2021 law bans discrimination in schools based on hair and cultural headdresses of a student. Johnson said this legislation will add onto that law, ensuring all cultures can be honored on special days such as graduation.

“They will be able to feel free to wear their cultural regalia, their cultural significance objects meaning jewelry, moccasins, beaded caps, in some instances, feathers. These cultural regalia and items of cultural significance are they are given to us in honor,” said Johnson.

Legislators introduced both a house and senate bill with the same goal, determined to get his signed into law. Both bills have passed their first committees.

According to the ACLU, fourteen states have laws that specifically protect the right to wear tribal regalia. The most recent to pass them is Nevada and Colorado in 2023.

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