Native American Kindergartner Sent Home on First Day to Cut Hair

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/native-american-kindergartner-sent-home-first-day-cut-hair



A Texas kindergartner was excited for his first day of school until he was sent home because his hair was too long.

Five-year-old Malachi Wilson is a member of the Navajo Nation, and according to his mother, not cutting their hair is part of their religion.

“Our hair is sacred to us; it makes us part of who we are,” April Wilson, Malachi’s mother, told a local CBS affiliate.

After the family contacted the Navajo Nation and provided sufficient paperwork stating Malachi was at least half Native American, the school reinstated him.

[Heidi]

1. And FJ Young Independent Elementary's school mascot is a long-haired, Seminole male.

See the hypocrisy for yourselves:

http://schools.seminoleisd.net/default.aspx?name=01.home

[xchrom]

2. color me unsurprised

morning love!

[Heidi]

3. Good morning,

handsome!

[xchrom]

6. damn it -- i was going for Pretty today

well...i'll go with Handsome -- never look a gift horse in the mouth -- as my mom always says.

[Heidi]

7. I think you could carry off both at the same time!

Pretty, but with a handsome 7 a.m. shadow.

[xchrom]

9. !

[hobbit709]

4. They can't even spell irony, much less recognize it when repeatedly bitten on the ass.

[Heidi]

5. That's pretty clear.

I can't think of one good reason why any school district should have anything to say about any kid's hair length, color, etc.

[d_r]

8. i find it distrurbing

beyond the fact that they are dictating hair styles for anyone, or that they have different rules for girls and boys, I find it disturbing that the family had to provide "sufficient paperwork" of their tribal status to document their religious beliefs.

If we have freedom of religion, should we be required to document it? Why would it have to be an organized religion? Are personal beliefs not covered? How does a school get the right to to determine what is sufficient and require documentation?

[RKP5637]

10. WTF! This is a very common way for one to wear their hair. This school sounds more like an

authoritarian control freak training camp.

[unblock]

11. reading can wait. bigotry must be taught from day one.

the hair is preserved easily enough, but being singled out, being identified as other, having to defend yourself, having something normal and even important to you treated as a rule violation that needs arguing and paperwork to be allowed, ...

well, that's a lesson that certainly can't even wait until day two.


and what's with the "at least half native american" crap?
a 49-percenter doesn't believe in long hair enough?