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In March, Utah joined a growing list of states in enshrining Native American students’ rights to wear tribal regalia at their graduation ceremonies.

In Iron County, where the school district tried to bar two graduates from wearing regalia at last year’s ceremonies, Tom and other Native American students savored the hard-won right.

"It’s kind of huge,” said Paiute tribal member Brailyn Jake, an eagle feather and beads dangling from her turquoise cap. Her cousin was one of the students stopped from donning beads last year.

“People don’t understand our culture, the meaning behind it and how, when you’re turned down for something this big, it’s kind of like, wow,” Jake said.