After an administrator told a high school Navajo student that he couldn’t wear tribal regalia on the graduation stage, he brought his concerns to the district governing board Wednesday.
Adrian Yazzie, a 17-year-old student at Cortez High School, like many other Native American students, anticipates wearing items such as moccasins, a feather, turquoise jewelry and possibly bead his cap when he graduates in 2028.
When he heard about Cortez’s rule that students weren’t allowed to decorate their caps and gowns, he asked Jennifer Krumpos, Cortez’ assistant principal of student services, specifically about tribal regalia. According to Yazzie, she told him the district didn’t allow decoration of any kind, even after he pointed out the state law that protects students’ right to wear regalia commemorating Native American culture…