It’s graduation season, and students are getting ready to put on their caps and gowns to celebrate this rite of passage. For many Indigenous students, this milestone event cannot be fully realized without wearing traditional tribal regalia, which are sacred markers of achievement, tradition, and connection with ancestors. In some states, however, students are prohibited from displaying their Indigenous identity through tribal regalia, such as feathers or beads, braids, or long hair. Schools have historically been used as a tool to forcibly assimilate Indigenous children, making today’s bans even more harmful to Indigenous communities. This history makes tribal regalia a source of empowerment for Indigenous students as they reclaim their identity and honor their ancestors.
An Indigenous Author’s Debut Children’s Book Explores Native American Identity. Julie Buchholtz didn’t plan for an internet search to change her life, but it did. Buchholtz, a member of the Bay Mills Indian Tribe, dreamed of being a published author. She has always been a writer, at least to her children. When they were growing up, she would write them stories and enjoyed creating new adventures to take her children on. Now, she has the opportunity to share her newest story, “Who Am I?” with a larger audience when her first children’s book releases this July. Buchholtz’s journey started in 2021.
Those are your headlines at this hour I’m Colette Keith in the KIPI News center.
