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Parents and educators press Central Consolidated over Shiprock High cultural-insensitivity incident
Summary
At a regular Central Consolidated School District board meeting, community members raised an incident at Shiprock High School involving an artifact used in a classroom that district residents called culturally insensitive. The board and district said they have taken immediate remedial steps and will hold an expanded community forum and follow-up agenda item to develop training and policy changes.
Community members told the Central Consolidated School District board on Nov. 20 that an item described as a human skull or bone had been used in a classroom at Shiprock High School, and that the action harmed students’ spiritual and emotional well-being.
“Having things such as skulls or bones, the remains of humans, is not appropriate and especially in an educational setting,” said Dr. Pandora Mike, a Shiprock educator and grandmother who spoke during public comment. She urged a public apology, inclusion of affected families in any remedial ceremonies, and staff cultural-sensitivity training.
Several parents and grandparents corroborated the complaint and described impacts on students. “I kept my daughter home from school today,” said Danelle Yazzie, a parent, who said the incident “undid what we restored” for students’ mental wellness and asked the district to involve its equity and Indian education offices.
Superintendent Jared Carlson told the board the district treated the report with urgency, arranging a short cleansing ceremony at the high school early the following morning and planning a more comprehensive ceremony and “cleansing and smudging” of all affected rooms. ICO staff and school leaders were present and working with principals, Carlson said.
Nathan Brady, ICO staff, and Karen (ICO presenter) described immediate steps: a medicine man conducted an initial blessing and the district planned additional ceremonies, staff outreach and a cultural-sensitivity video for staff. Carlson apologized to the community and said the district would not return students to classrooms until staff and school leaders assured him students would be safe.
Board members, including Vice President Wells, said the matter warranted a separate agenda item and broader community engagement so the district could meet Open Meetings Act requirements and gather input before adopting policy changes. The board instructed the superintendent to schedule a special, public forum or meeting for community members to hear what the district has done and to provide feedback; staff were directed to invite ICO, principals, tribal representatives and offer a public-comment segment.
Next steps: the board directed staff to notify affected tribal and chapter officials and to prepare a public presentation summarizing actions taken and proposed training or policy changes. The board said it would consider putting a standalone agenda item on an upcoming regular meeting (or a special meeting) to review and vote on any recommended policy changes.
