Montana School District Faces Pushback for Pre-approval Policy to Wear Traditional Regalia to Graduation

Published June 4, 2019

HELENA, Mont. — On Monday, the ACLU of Montana, Western Native Voice, and the Native American Rights Fund sent a letter to the Principal of Polson High School to provide some background on the law that ensures that Native students are not prohibited from wearing traditional regalia at graduation.

The letter requested that the school adjusts its policy in a way that unequivocally allows Native American students to wear traditional regalia at graduation without any prior restraint or approval.

“Polson High School’s policy requiring pre-approval for traditional regalia runs afoul of the spirit and the letter of Montana law,” said Lillian Alvernaz, Indigenous Justice Legal Fellow with the ACLU of Montana. “The law clearly states that schools may not prohibit students from wearing traditional regalia at public events, including graduation.  Any policy that Polson High School adopts should promote — not restrict — Native students’ ability to celebrate graduation wearing traditional regalia.”

PDFPolson High School letter

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