Across the country, American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian students, citizens of sovereign Tribal Nations, are reaching an incredible milestone: graduation. For many, this moment is marked not only by receiving a diploma, but through wearing items of deep personal and cultural significance, such as eagle feathers, beaded caps, or traditional clothing. Tribal regalia is not only a meaningful expression of culture and community, it is also a reflection of constitutionally and federally protected rights.

Morgan Gray (Chickasaw Nation) serves as the Senior Research & Policy Analyst at the American Indian Policy Institute, where she leads AIPI’s policy and research agenda. As an attorney and former Tribal government employee, she is deeply committed to advancing research on emerging issues at the intersection of law and policy that impact Tribal communities. 

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