Arcadia students, staff describe second Native American convocation and handmade stoles

Sherry Subsea, Instructional Support for Native American students at Arcadia High School, and senior Anaya Anderson described the school’s Native American convocation and the handmade stoles students receive at the event. "Last year was our first Native American convocation and this year will be our second," Subsea said.

The convocation, speakers said, gives Native American students at Arcadia an occasion to connect with culture and one another. "The Native American program here is really great. It definitely brought me and a lot of my friends together," Anderson said, adding that the program helped her take on leadership; she serves as president of Arcadia’s Native American club.

Students and staff described the stoles used in the ceremony as handmade items, with the exception of Pendleton blankets repurposed as material. Anderson said, "The Pendleton company has been around since the late 1800s. They started using indigenous patterns. They're used for a lot of things and are significant in our culture." Subsea and Anderson both noted the stoles include a medicine wheel design with four colors and four drawings and that the stoles list each participating school.

Organizers set the stoles on the stage and invited guest speakers; students then walked across the stage school by school, speakers said. Subsea and Anderson described the convocation as meaningful for students because it creates cultural connection across tribal backgrounds and provides opportunities for student leadership.

No formal actions or district votes were reported in these remarks. Additional logistical details—such as the convocation date, the number of participating students or the specific list of schools—were not specified in the remarks provided.