Helena schools honor 25 Native American graduates at ceremony

Helena Public Schools put 25 Native seniors from Helena High, Capital High and the Project for Alternative Learning in the spotlight Wednesday night, turning a graduation celebration into a public statement about belonging, identity and school support. Each student received smudge kits from the Helena Indian Alliance and handmade stoles created to recognize their heritage, a personal touch that made the ceremony feel as much like a cultural gathering as a school event.

The district’s Indian Education for All program says its mission is to advocate for Indian students and their families so they can feel proud of their heritage and culture, experience belonging in the public school system and achieve academic and personal success. Helena Public Schools also allows students to honor American Indian heritage through culturally significant regalia at commencement ceremonies, an approach that helps carry that recognition beyond a single night and into the formal graduation stage.

For students, the ceremony was deeply personal. Helena High graduate Nathaniel Plainfeather said coming together at the event brought joy because the students are “all Native Americans, all a community and all a family.” PAL graduate Broolyn Brown said she felt like she carried her ancestors and family with her even when she was not physically with them. Those reflections underscored why the ceremony matters in Helena: it gave Native students a visible place in a district where cultural affirmation is tied directly to academic persistence.

That sense of resilience also came through in the staff who support Native students year-round. Capital High Indian Education specialist Joe Pichardo spoke about how his own Indigenous identity and the hurdles of that history give him strength and resilience. Helena Public Schools’ Indian Education team has also included Amanda Walking Child, an instructional coach and tutor coordinator, and Pichardo as a Title VI Indian Ed tutor at Capital High, showing that the district’s support is not limited to commencement season. In a previous Helena ceremony, Walking Child said that even though the Native student population is not large, being celebrated makes students feel special.

The evening ended with a traditional drum song that several students and staff described as moving, and one graduate said it made her cry. The celebration came as Helena High and Capital High prepared for their formal graduation ceremonies on Saturday, June 6, with Helena High set for 9 a.m. at Carroll College and Capital High scheduled for 11:30 a.m. at Nelson Stadium on the Carroll College campus. In Helena, recognition is becoming part of the educational infrastructure, not just the applause at the end of the school year.