IN A celebration of her heritage, a Native American high school student wore an eagle feather in her graduation cap on May 23 during the ceremony in Atmore, Ala. The school administration responded by fining her and her family $1,000 for adding this “extraneous item” to the traditional cap and gown.
Chelsey Ramer is a member of the Poarch Creek Band of Indians, which is the only federally recognized tribe in Alabama. The Poarch Creeks are one of the few tribes and nations east of the Mississippi River that did not face the brutal and deadly genocidal policy of “Indian Removal” from their lands. They have been living around the area now known as Atmore for almost 200 years.
Chelsey Ramer’s act, although not analyzed as such in most news reports, ended up being a protest against a racist discriminatory policy and cultural bias by a private school administration. Unfortunately, it represents a broader epidemic of institutionalized discrimination against Native Americans across North America.
Ramer spoke to the Indian Country Today website about her actions:
About two months ago, me and the other Indian seniors from the graduating class asked our headmaster if we could wear the feathers on our caps. She told us “no,” and that if we did, she would pull us off the field.
Ramer explained that soon after the meeting, the school tried to give students a contract to sign confirming that they would abide by school rules, and if they didn’t they would not be able to participate in graduation. She said, “I never signed that paper.”
On the day of graduation, she proudly wore the eagle feather as a symbol of honor for her achievement. Another Native American student wore a feather on their necklace but was not fined. Some of Ramer’s friends, who originally planned to wear the eagle feather, felt the school pressure and opted to not face the possibilities of being reprimanded.
Ramer’s former teacher, Alex Alvarez, who is also Native American and a family friend responded to the school:
I think this is ridiculous. If they took the time to understand and respect the differences in individuals, this would have never happened. We don’t have much left as Indian people, to give a child an eagle feather, as an achievement should be adhered to. The kicker is that this is a private school. Private institutions still have to follow federal guidelines, especially in regards to the American Indian Religious Freedom Act.
THE AMERICAN Indian Religious Freedom Act, passed in 1980, explicitly states:
That henceforth it shall be the policy of the United States to protect and preserve for American Indians their inherent right of freedom to believe, express and exercise the traditional religions of the American Indian, Eskimo, Aleut and Native Hawaiians, including but not limited to access to sites, use and possession of sacred objects, and the freedom to worship through ceremonials and traditional rites.