Survey: Tribal Regalia and First Amendment Rights in North Dakota

Please note: This form is not intended as a means of obtaining legal advice or assistance and will not establish an attorney-client relationship. Its purpose is to gather information for advocacy purposes and collect stories that may be used for public education purposes. Please do not include information you would not want shared publicly (e.g., posted online).

Which best describes your role? *

K–12 student

College or university student

K–12 educator

Higher education faculty/staff

Parent/guardian

Other (please specify in the next field)

"Other" role:

If you selected "other" for role, please enter it in this textfield.

Which setting do you engage with most? *

Public K–12 school

Public college or university

Multiple settings

Have you worn or wanted to wear tribal regalia or Indigenous cultural symbols at a school event (such as graduation, honor ceremony, performance)? *

Yes

No

Unsure

Not applicable

If yes, what was your experience? (Select all that apply.)

Allowed without issue

Allowed only after asking for permission

Discouraged or questioned

Prohibited

Mixed experiences

Unsure

Have you ever been told that tribal regalia or cultural symbols were not allowed at a school ceremony? *

Yes

No

Unsure

Do you know whether your school or institution has a written policy about tribal regalia and cultural expression at ceremonies? *

Yes – clearly written and shared

Yes – but not clear or shared widely

No known policy

Unsure

Who typically makes decisions about whether Indigenous cultural items are allowed? *

School administrator

Teacher or faculty member

School board or governing body

Event coordinator

Unsure

How often do you feel Indigenous cultural expression is treated differently than other forms of expression (e.g., religious symbols, honor cords, decorations)? *

Always

Often

Sometimes

Rarely

Never

Unsure

How confident are you that school staff and administrators understand Indigenous students’ First Amendment rights? *

Very confident

Somewhat confident

Not very confident

Not confident at all

Unsure

When Indigenous cultural expression is restricted, how significant is the impact on students? *

Very significant

Somewhat significant

Slight impact

No impact

Unsure

Which impacts have you observed or experienced? (Select all that apply.) *

Emotional harm or stress

Feeling invisible or disrespected

Cultural or spiritual harm

Loss of family or community trust in schools

Reduced sense of belonging

None of the above

Not applicable

What would most improve protections for Indigenous students' cultural expression in North Dakota schools? (Select up to three.) *

Clear statewide policy or guidance

Explicit state law protections

School administrator training

Tribal consultation in policymaking

Student and family education about rights

Stronger complaint or enforcement processes

North Dakota law (N.D. Century Code § 15.1-19-28) says a school district or school may not establish a dress code policy that prohibits a student from wearing traditional tribal regalia or objects of cultural significance at a graduation ceremony ("tribal regalia or object of cultural significance" is defined in law to mean eagle feather or eagle plume).

Before now, were you aware North Dakota law explicitly prevents school dress codes from prohibiting a student from wearing an eagle feather/eagle plume at a graduation ceremony? *

Yes

No

Unsure

Would you be in favor of expanding the definition of "tribal regalia" and "objects of cultural significance" beyond only an eagle feather/eagle plume? *

Yes

No

Unsure

If yes, what specific items or types of regalia and objects of cultural significance should be included to be protected under this law?

In your own words, what should school leaders and lawmakers understand about Indigenous cultural expression and graduation ceremonies?

Please share any experience – positive or negative – related to Indigenous cultural expression in school settings.

Would you be willing to participate in future conversations or take action in advocacy on this issue? (If answering YES, please be sure to share your name and contact info at the end of this survey.) *

Yes

No

Unsure

First Name

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Last Name

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Email

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Phone

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K-12 District/School or College/University