Native American student told to remove feather at graduation

(AP) — A Native American student was forced to remove an eagle feather prior to her high school graduation ceremony in northeastern Oklahoma. 

Broken Arrow student Lena’ Black told the Tulsa World the feather was attached to her mortarboard and a security guard tried to forcibly remove before she could take it off. 

School Indian Education Coordinator Rich Pawpa said the confrontation was due to a miscommunication about the required protocols for approval of adding culturally significant items and that other Indigenous students wore regalia during the ceremony. 

Black and her mother say they have received an apology from the district.