Shasta County honored high school graduates with Indigenous heritage on Thursday, presenting them with hand-stitched sashes and eagle feathers to celebrate their right of passage.

The class of 2022 Indigenous graduating class is the largest yet, said April Carmelo, Indian education coordinator at Shasta Union High School District. A total of 122 indigenous students are graduating and only 40 of them were able to attend the ceremony and receive their badges, she said.

“I’m so proud of you for what you accomplish,” Carmelo told the students. “Because I don’t know how you handled those three years.” I was ready to type like yesterday.

The audience laughed.

The evening at the Shasta County Office of Education began with Carmelo and Judy Flores, Superintendent of Schools, speaking to graduating students and their families.

“One of the things I’ve really come to appreciate is how important it is for every student in every school to have a sense of belonging,” Flores said. “It’s something not all students feel all the time and it’s something we’re working hard to change in Shasta County and beyond.”

What followed was a series of celebrations, beginning with a U.S. Navy and Army veteran carrying the U.S. and California flags and planting them at the front of the room, while Carmelo sang a song honoring flags and veterans. Afterwards, a community member recited a blessing to show gratitude and remember students who are unable to graduate.

“It’s important to celebrate accomplishments, but there are so many families who aren’t there. Students who dropped out of school and had a hard time and couldn’t finish things. Let us also remember them and the struggling families,” the community member said before reciting the prayer.

The evening’s keynote speaker, Becky Love, a retired school trustee, teacher, coach and Vice President of Indians for Education, spoke about the statistics among Aboriginal youth and what education can do for them.

Indigenous youth who graduate should be celebrated for being:

• Among the 97% of Indigenous youth graduating from high school in Shasta County
• Among the 15% of Indigenous youth who have completed a technical career program in Shasta County
• Among the 18% of Indigenous youth who completed an AG course sequence to qualify for a California State University (CSU) or University of California (UC) system
• Among the 24% of Indigenous youth who earned college credits while in high school
• Among the 2% of Indigenous youth who earned an associate’s degree at Shasta College

“Education can open doors for you,” she said.

“Students, I want you to know that your voice matters. Share how you feel and what’s on your mind. … With all my heart, I ask you to keep your education and training with the elders. … We are the keepers of our traditions and our cultures,” Love said.

Afterwards, the audience sat down for a dinner prepared by the Shasta Union School District.

Students were called to receive their sashes and eagle feathers. The feathers are gifted by elders and meant to be respected by all who receive them, Carmelo said.

Senior Abigail Carlson, 18, had the highest GPA among female graduates of Foothill High School, 4.66.

She was thrilled to be at the ceremony and to receive her eagle feather and sash.

“I wasn’t really involved and I regret that,” she said. “But it’s a good start.”

She will attend Cal Poly Humboldt in the fall and major in economics and environmental studies, she said.

Seventeen-year-old Andreas Shelton, a college prep school senior, said he was also out of touch with his roots, but he helped design his own sash for the ceremony.

“To be in touch with your culture and to honor it separately with people who have a connection with it is really special. (It’s important) to connect with the people who support our roots and not forget that,” Shelton said.

Shelton graduated with a 4.3 GPA and is committed to studying design at the University of San Francisco, he said.

At the end of the ceremony, Irma Amaro, who served as the director of the Indian Education Center, was honored with a star quilt, donated to mark significant life events.

The two most important things one can receive are an eagle feather and a blanket, Carmelo said.

At the end of the ceremony, Carmelo asked the audience to stand while community member Saylooli Davis sang a prayer song to honor the graduates.

It took several years to prepare the school board to allow students to wear their badges, Carmelo said. Sashes and eagle feathers were once considered inappropriate attire for graduation. It took years of advocating for change to make this possible, she said.

“(It’s) one of my proudest moments,” Carmelo told the audience. “We ate together, now we are a family. I consider (students) all my children.”

The US Fish and Wildlife, McConnell Foundation, Local Indians for Education, Shasta Union High School District Indian Education, College Options, Bureau of Indian Education and 11 families contributed to the event.

Nada Atieh is a Report For America fellow and an educational journalist focusing on childhood trauma and the achievement gap for the Redding Record Searchlight. Follow her on Twitter at @nadatieh_RS. Help local journalism thrive by subscribing today! And if you can, please consider a tax-deductible donation for his work..