LET THEM SING! "WE WILL SING!"
By Vivian LaMoore, Inaajimowin Editor
A last-minute decision by the Hinckley-Finlayson School Board on May 13 went viral on social media and mainstream media when the decision was made to deny a Native American Stu dent Association (NASA) drum group to perform the Traveling Song at the class of 2024 graduation ceremony. The students and community immediately rallied with daily demonstrations with the theme, “Let them sing!” After a challenging two weeks, students with the support of the community turned the theme around to “We will sing!”
The formal 2024 commencement ceremony on May 24 proceeded as intended by the school board with the tradition al “Pomp and Circumstance” with music by the high school band. The band also performed a medley of Prince hits, including “Purple Rain” and a song sung by the high school choir. The ceremony went on without incident and without a Native American drum group.
Nearly one third of the Hinckley-Finlayson class of 2024 is Native American with 21 Native students graduating. The state wide graduate rate for Native American students is 61 percent. However, Hinckley-Finlayson graduates 79 percent of its Native American students, and the Native American student graduation rate in the district has risen each of the last three years.
Leading up to graduation day, the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe stood in unity with the Native American students and their families who oppose the school board’s decision. Band leaders held discussions with community and state officials on several levels to raise their concerns about the need to accelerate education on tribal history. “We need to broaden this education to all decision-makers,” said Chief Executive Melanie Benjamin. “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.”
Native American students walked out of class 10 minutes early following the Board’s decision and staged a peaceful pro test. Students continued holding daily demonstrations outside the school in the days leading to the May 24 commencement ceremony. The demonstrations included carrying signs in pro test while walking through the city of Hinckley from the school, past several businesses, across I35 bridge and over to McDonald's, and back to the school. They were joined in their efforts by several tribal leaders, parents, community members from the Mille Lacs Band and as far away as South Dakota. Mille Lacs Band Representatives from all three districts — Virgil Wind, Wendy Merrill, and Harry Davis — also joined in the some of the demonstrations throughout the week in support of the students, exemplifying unity for the community.
Chief Executive Benjamin sent a letter to the school board asking them to reconsider their decision. Tribal leaders made several attempts to request the decision be reversed as well, but all requests fell on deaf ears. School administration offered other forums separate from the formal commencement ceremony for the group to perform. One option was allowing the group to perform in the Fine Arts Center. An option that struck a sour chord leaving an aftertaste akin to being placed in a back room and served of a reminder of the boarding school era. Students and community members had other ideas a few days before graduation and began to organize a powwow in the parking lot to celebrate the success of the graduating students and showcase the peaceful culture of the Ojibwe.
Chief Executive Benjamin notes that several other high schools in the state as well as the U of M Morris and UMD have tribal drums perform for graduation ceremonies. “The tradition of tribal drums at graduations pays tribute to the students and provides them with a sense of accomplishment and honor from their home communities,” Benjamin said. “We thought we had reached a point where we didn’t have to fight battles like this. I guess we were wrong.”
The group did perform the traveling song last year at the 2023 graduation ceremony, the same song they wanted to per form for this year’s graduates. Kaiya Wilson is an officer of NASA and a senior at Hinckley-Finlayson. She said the Ojibwe traveling song is meant for healing and to send people off in a good way, to keep them safe and peaceful. “It is not only for Native Americans. It is not for one group of people. It is for everyone in the presence of the drum.”
The song often evokes emotions prompting others to circle around the drum and sing along creating unity and bringing community together. That unity by circling around the drum did occur last year and was among the reasons for the school board’s decision saying it was a “disruption” to the ceremony.
The board also loosely based their decision on a memo from the school administration advising against allowing any “extra curricular groups” to perform this year, and future graduation ceremonies, and suggested the board create a policy stating such. The board also considered the advice of an attorney “to avoid the perception that it is endorsing any religion as part of graduation, as courts have found that violates the Establishment Clause of the United States Constitution.”
The Board stated that the presence of the drum would violate the establishment clause of the U.S. Constitution, which is a provision designed to ensure that there is a separation of church and state. “Saying the presence of a tribal drum violates the U.S. Constitution is quite a stretch; it is a cultural activity, not a religious one,” said Solicitor General Caleb Dogeagle.
Students, families, and community members are outraged at the board’s use of the term “extracurricular groups” and many students carried signs that read, “We are not extracurricular. We are Ojibwe.”
“We’re not only being denied the opportunity to showcase and celebrate our culture, but we’re being subjected to racism and discrimination at the same time.” Wilson said.
Among those who walked and demonstrated with the students was Terry Fiddler, a Traditional Chief of Lakota Nation in South Dakota, who now lives in Red Wing. He spoke words of encouragement to the students on the sidewalk near the Hinckley McDonald’s. He congratulated the students for stand ing up for what they believe in and said, “It is our job to educate people in any way we can to do the right thing for all. As Native people, we are supposed to share with everyone — not just Native people. I am honored to be here.”
“It was a hurtful, uninformed decision by the Board reflecting a lack of understanding of who we are as a people,” said Niiyo Gonzalez, Mille Lacs Band Commissioner of Education and a parent of Native American students at the school. “This should be a moment of pride and accomplishment for our students. This action sends the message that we are not welcome here.”
Gonzalez in a later statement said she was proud of the way the students handled the situation saying the youth should be an example of how to handle future situations. “They have really taught me a lot about how to respond with a really peaceful, loving, inclusive approach that I think all of us as adults could learn from,” Gonzalez said.
Following the formal commencement ceremony inside the school, the parking lot powwow began around dusk. Powwows generally begin with a Grand Entry, in this case it was referred to as a “Grad” Entry, led by members of the Mille Lacs Band AMVETS Honor Guard with the graduates following. The graduates were honored with an Honor Song where they were joined by family members and community members and they danced around the circle. The atmosphere was joyous and uplifting with graduates and families smiling and celebrating surrounded by nearly 300 community members from near and far. Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan was unable to attend the event; however, she sent a letter to the students which was read by District I Representative Virgil Wind. In summary, she apologized for not being there in person but wrote, “I am absolutely with you in spirit. All of you should be able to take up space and be your full, beautiful Indigenous selves wherever you go. No one should be able to take that from you. Ever… As graduates, you all deserve an honor song. It is unfortunate of the short-sightedness of some to deny you this experience, but never forget who you are or where you come from. Your ancestors, your relatives, your community, have loved you into this moment and we are all immensely proud of you and your accomplishments.”
Rep. Wind — who attended the rallies, encouraged students and families in the days leading up to the ceremony, and was instrumental in assisting to pull the powwow together — said he was grateful for all of the support the from the community to honor the students. He thanked everyone who helped make the event successful. “The students had a rough couple of weeks leading up to graduation day. As hard as it was for them, they rallied our communities and spoke with conviction while remaining respectful and speaking with a united voice. Thank you for setting an example of how to deal with these tough times. We have no doubt you are going to achieve all of your dreams.”
The evening ended peacefully with happy graduates, families, and community — and a powerful and emotional Traveling Song.