Information and knowledge are the best guides. Know the community in which your students live and consult Native American resources when in doubt as to the appropriateness of any activity or material. Native American sacred objects and artifact The following objects have sacred significance to many native peoples. Do not ask students to imitate face paint designs or to paint their own faces for classroom activities. The appropriate term is regalia.
All native peoples are proud of their distinctive and unique styles of dress.
Don't leave students with the impression that Native Americans dress in regalia to go to work and school everyday. Plains Indian shields, for example, are for males. This legislation has been strengthened several times during the century, most recently in the 1990 Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. In short, this legislation provides that Native American artifacts must be left where they are found in national parks, forests, etc. Myth, legend, and belief may conflict with science for some traditional people.