A group of beaded graduation caps at Poteau High School. PHOTOS BY TERRA FONDRIEST

Next spring, when the students at Poteau High School in Poteau, OK, put on their caps and gowns for graduation, my twins will be among them. I look forward to watching them receive their diplomas wearing caps embellished with colorful beads representing their Cherokee heritage.

Ballard in his office at Poteau High School in Poteau, OK.

As principal at Poteau High School, I have worked with students, parents, staff, tribal leaders, and the broader community to make it possible for students like my own children to include Native regalia in their graduation attire. The first six students wore their beaded caps six years ago. Last year, that number was more than 20, which is more than half of our graduating Native American students. They make up about one-third of our total student population.

Our decision to allow Native American students to decorate their caps wasn’t just a matter of pride, although it certainly is that. Several years ago, I was reading news stories and hearing from other school leaders about controversies throughout Oklahoma when Native American students tried to express their heritage and their culture through tribal regalia. I wanted to head off those controversies before we had any issues in our school, so we developed our detailed policy. We wanted to do it carefully and in a culturally sensitive manner.

Outreach to Local Tribes

I met with Bobbi Gillham, our school’s director of Indian education; Julie Marvin, our coordinator of Indian education; and Dewayne Hornbuckle, the outreach coordinator for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, to discuss the issue and the best approach. In the past, there had been a local administrator who prevented students from wearing tribal regalia. It took a lot of time and effort and meetings with different people, including from the local Choctaw and Cherokee Nations. Our school is on the tribal land of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, which is one of the largest tribes in the United States, so we made sure the tribal leaders backed what we were doing.

Principal Joe Ballard with his twin children Pierce, left, and Traegan, right, who will graduate from Poteau in the spring. All three are citizens of the Cherokee Nation.

From the beginning, it has been a big success. After that first ceremony, Chief Gary Batton of the Choctaw tribe congratulated us and our students. He met with school leadership, including administrators of our Indian education programs, as well as students and parent committee members, at the Choctaw Nation Dale Cox Community Center in Poteau.

I’m pleased that in the 2019–20 school year, we also began including Choctaw as one of the offerings for students studying a world language, alongside more common languages like Spanish. We added Choctaw Language II the following year.

The guidelines we developed, in cooperation with various school and community partners, worked so well that last year, Oklahoma adopted a statewide policy based very closely on ours. The U.S. Department of Education also incorporated it into national guidance on tribal regalia so our policy can serve as a blueprint for state departments of education or school districts in all 50 states.

Expressing Their Culture for the Right Reasons

Students who want to enhance their caps must complete a few steps in the application process. We don’t want students who are just trying to get attention. We want students to express and understand their culture respectfully and for the right reasons.

I’m pleased that we have excellent working relationships with the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and the other tribes represented among our students. This year, our Native seniors are represented by six tribes, including the Cherokee Nation, Mississippi Band of Cherokee, Seminole Nation of Florida, the Muscogee Creek Nation, and the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, in addition to the Choctaw. The tribal leaders know we are approachable and work hard to provide high-quality services for our Native American students. That has helped build trust among our families and with tribal leadership.

Our school’s general policy is that graduation caps cannot be embellished. That’s why Native American students who want to add beading must go through our process. Some students have learned the art of beading from their elders, such as grandparents. Others don’t have anyone in the family carrying on the beading tradition, so they’ve reached out to other Native Americans outside their family. Some students have learned themselves, and some ask other tribal members to do the beadwork.

A Priceless Family Heirloom

Ballard holds a medallion beaded by Gennavie Tom that was gifted to him to show the community’s appreciation for his proactive approach to cultural
expression. In October, Ballard wore it in Washington, D.C., where he was presented with the 2024 Oklahoma Principal of the Year award.

One of the great things is that every pattern and color combination is different. We’ve had no repeat designs in the six years we’ve done this. To our students, the caps represent a piece of their heritage they are very proud of. I know several graduates who have had their caps framed afterward; it’s a family heirloom that they plan on passing down. And being in rural Oklahoma, some of these students are the first in their family to graduate from high school, so it’s an important milestone.

I’m proud we were the first Oklahoma district to develop beaded graduation cap procedures. Now, schools and districts, not just in our state but from across the country, are calling us for more information and advice and pretty much adopting our policy as their own.

I know that our procedures are different from when we started. They have evolved over the years. For example, initially I notified the students when the Native American parent committee approved their applications. Now, our director of Indian education notifies students and guides them through next steps. I think that approach can apply to other schools as well. The policy can give them a place to start, and they can always revise it to fit their community.

My advice for other school leaders looking into this is to start small. Talk to your Native students and families first. Then it makes sense to move on to discussions with staff and the community—especially the local tribe or tribes.

Joe Ballard is the principal of Poteau High School in Poteau, OK, and the 2024 Oklahoma High School Principal of the Year.