As the leader of a federally recognized Indian tribe, I am called far too often about unjust acts against our tribal citizens. Sometimes it’s just a small slight, and other times it becomes a symbol for something much larger.
Last week, I was informed that the Hinckley-Finlayson School Superintendent and the legal advisers of their school board suggested that a five-minute Ojibwe travel song should be banned from the graduation ceremony on Friday night, May 24. The song was played last year without any problem. This year there are 21 Native American students graduating, about a third of the class, and they’ve worked hard to reach this important milestone. They overcame obstacles and defied the statistics that often weigh against Native American students. This travel song isn’t just music; it’s a salute to their grit and success. It’s a way for us to acknowledge their journey, and it helps us heal old wounds and look ahead with hope.
But the school board decided to eliminate this part of the program, claiming the song might breach the 1st Amendment’s establishment clause. While we have told them the song is not religious, they think it violates the separation of church and state. They also feared that if they let our students play their song, it’d open the floodgates for other groups to demand the same. So, the board voted unanimously to ban it. The students began a peaceful protest and I sent a letter to the School Board asking them to reconsider — all to no avail.
This matter went viral on social media. Now, Native Americans and others from near and far want to come to Hinckley to support our students on Friday night. The Mille Lacs Band has a great relationship with the Pine County Sheriff’s Office. Our tribal police department is teaming up with the county to manage the gathering. In order to ensure a peaceful and respectful demonstration before the graduation, the school provided space at one of its parking lots and we are grateful for that. However, the school will not reconsider its decision on including the song at the end of the graduation ceremony.
For 500-plus years, our customs and traditions were misunderstood and outlawed by non-Indian governments. A lot of that changed with the federal government starting in the 1970s and more recently with the administration of Gov. Tim Walz here in Minnesota. Walz signed a law that requires state employees to learn about tribal history and governance and for state agencies to consult with tribes on a regular basis. We need to broaden this education to all decision-makers. In this case, it’s about teaching educators and school administrators that tribal history and culture in Minnesota is a shared history and should be embraced and respected.
Melanie Benjamin is the chief executive of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.
