Many colleges and universities are cancelling Indigenous graduations and celebrations this spring in response to political pressure. But national Native scholarships providers know our students’ cultures are their strength. Creating vibrant tribal regalia is a centuries-long tradition. Families, friends, and entire communities demonstrate their love by creating regalia for an honored relative to wear, demonstrating cultural ties while celebrating the hopes and dreams our ancestors and kin hold for the future—a Native person’s wealth. By wearing this demonstration of community respect, an honored tribal member walks confidently into the future.

To celebrate Native students and their achievements, the American Indian College Fund with Native Forward Scholarships, the American Indian Student Engineering Society, and Cobell Scholarships, is hosting an online graduation walk on social media for students to share photos and videos as they rock their mocs, ribbon skirts and shirts, beadwork, unique jewelry combinations, headpieces, and everything that makes their graduation unique as Native people. Graduates can also post pictures of themselves in their graduation gowns.

The College Fund invites all winter and spring Native graduates to post photographs of their regalia from creative inception to completion on their social media channels. Please share photos of your designs on paper, your fabrics, feathers, and beads, and regalia coming together, stitch by stitch. Post photos of you proudly rocking your moccasins and your graduation regalia to show Native students are here, we achieve, and we are fulfilling our dreams and the dreams of our ancestors. Be sure to tag your social media posts using the hashtags #NativePathways and #EducationIsTheAnswer.

Tribal college presidents, faculty, staff, and other recent graduates are encouraged to show support by posting your throwback graduation regalia photos as we celebrate our students, our cultures, and our communities together.

Mariah Plummer (Diné), program administrator of student engagement and communications at the American Indian College Fund, said, “Our regalia and traditional outfits are our wealth. They are stitched with love, hand-crafted from generations of creativity, and threaded with wisdom from our ancestors. We carry all that with us, it becomes part of our wisdom, and it is something we look forward to passing on to future generations.”