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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsNative American Rights Fund Demands Change from Charter Schools Forcing Native Boys to Cut Hair
https://narf.org/ccsl-boys-long-hair/April 27, 2023
On April 26, 2023, the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) submitted a letter to the Classical Charter Schools of Leland (CCSL), a network of charter schools in North Carolina, requesting the removal of a network-wide policy that prohibits male students from wearing long hair. Many Native American people wear long hair, regardless of gender, for cultural and religious reasons. The letter requests that the networks Board of Trustees place the issue on the agenda for its Thursday, April 27, meeting.
The letter explains that: Since time immemorial, many Tribes and Indigenous communities have placed significant cultural and religious importance on hair and to many [it] is an important aspect of Indigenous identity. This predates European contact and the founding of the United States, when settlers began imposing Western hairstyles on tribal communities.
While CCSL has committed to not forcing male students to cut their hair for the remainder of the current school year, NARF wants the school to permanently remove the discriminatory and outdated assimilationist policy before the upcoming school year. Native boys have legally protected religious rights to wear their hair long. School officials forcing Native boys to cut their hair to match non-Native cultural beliefs is unlawful discrimination that violates religious freedoms, said NARF Staff Attorney Mark Carter.
SNIP
The letter explains that: Since time immemorial, many Tribes and Indigenous communities have placed significant cultural and religious importance on hair and to many [it] is an important aspect of Indigenous identity. This predates European contact and the founding of the United States, when settlers began imposing Western hairstyles on tribal communities.
While CCSL has committed to not forcing male students to cut their hair for the remainder of the current school year, NARF wants the school to permanently remove the discriminatory and outdated assimilationist policy before the upcoming school year. Native boys have legally protected religious rights to wear their hair long. School officials forcing Native boys to cut their hair to match non-Native cultural beliefs is unlawful discrimination that violates religious freedoms, said NARF Staff Attorney Mark Carter.
SNIP
UPDATE: At Thursdays meeting, despite a room full of parents and allies who wish to see the short-hair-policy removed, the CCSL school board refused to discuss the issue of the boys short hair policy. Even more disturbingly, a board member was overheard dehumanizing the Native American attendees and referring to them as feathers. Parents questioned, if this was the type of racism that they encountered at a board meeting, what type of racist treatment were the schools Brown and Black students enduring on a daily basis.
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Native American Rights Fund Demands Change from Charter Schools Forcing Native Boys to Cut Hair (Original Post)
diva77
May 2023
OP
MagickMuffin
(15,960 posts)1. Getting extremely tired of these oppressive regimes and their agenda
If they dont love America then they should leave it, as the ol saying goes.
Love it or leave it.
And considering they dont want to adhere to the US Constitution then they hate America!
Bayard
(22,177 posts)2. How long?
How long before boys hair is cut short, they're made to wear white clothes, and forbidden to speak their own language, like in the old boarding schools?
Not much different than kids in red states being forced to assimilate into Christianity mode.
Timeflyer
(2,011 posts)3. "Classical" in the name is code for conservative.