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At its Tuesday meeting, board member Adelita Grijalva proposed placing the flags of the Tohono O鈥檕dham and Pascua Yaqui nations in the board鈥檚 meeting rooms.

It would be a symbol of respect for Native Americans and a nod to the fact that we live on indigenous lands.

There was public support for the proposal during the meeting, which I saw and heard on the district鈥檚 video.

Adriana Ortiz, a sophomore at Tucson Magnet High School and a Pascua Yaqui, urged the board to adopt Grijalva鈥檚 proposal. She said it鈥檚 important for Native American students, who would see the flags as a sign of acknowledgment, unlike classroom textbooks that inadequately teach Native American history and culture.

鈥淚鈥檓 not learning about my ancestors who were amazing warriors,鈥� she said.

But what should have been an automatic, unanimous vote turned out to be a drawn-out discussion, highlighted by board chairman Mark Stegeman鈥檚 sole vote in opposition.

Why? Because of the size of the flags.

The Tohono O鈥檕dham and Pascua Yaqui flags would be comparable and 鈥渆qual in size鈥� to the Arizona and U.S. flags, said Stegeman during the board鈥檚 pre-vote discussion. Allowing the two flags, he added, would 鈥渞aise questions in some quarters.鈥�

Some quarters? I doubt President Trump would even notice. He鈥檚 got enough issues to deal with.

Even board member Rachel Sedgwick, who expressed sympathy for Stegeman鈥檚 position, voted for Grijalva鈥檚 proposal.

Yes, there is a U.S. flag code that stipulates proper placement of non-U.S. flags alongside the U.S. flag. But there was no intent or discussion here to supersede the regulations.

The proposal was plain and non-intrusive: Allow the flags of the two principal Native American tribes of Southern Arizona to be displayed in the board meeting room. It is a simple act of recognition of the historical presence of Native Americans.

Grijalva noted that the Pima County Board of Supervisors recently voted to place the Pascua Yaqui and Tohono O鈥檕dham flags in its meeting room.

Indeed, the county board voted 5-0 earlier this year to place two smaller Native American flags in its boardroom, and they are properly placed in accordance with flag decorum. The same thing will happen at TUSD.

Superintendent Gabriel Trujillo said of the two tribes, 鈥淭he impact and influence that they have had on this district through its 150 years of history has been academically, artistically and culturally significant.鈥�

Stegeman did not budge. He staked his opposition to the Native American flags on his insistence that this is 鈥渘ot an educational issue.鈥�

He said the Native American educational issue, as long as he has been on the board, has been 鈥渢he inadequacy of the educational services to tribal nations. That鈥檚 an important educational issue to me.鈥� He also said it鈥檚 鈥渋mportant to recognize the two nations.鈥�

To burnish his credentials, Stegeman, an associate professor of economics at the University of Arizona, said he has supported educational services for Native American students, which number about 2,000 in the district . This comes from a board member who hasn鈥檛 flown the flag of culturally relevant studies in TUSD, nor has he publicly led initiatives to improve educational services to Native American students.

And just to make sure that no one calls him out for his stance, he said, 鈥淚 intend no disrespect.鈥�

But it sure sounded disrespectful.

Yes, this question is small compared to the larger challenges facing the district. Some people couldn鈥檛 care less if Native American flags are displayed. And certainly there鈥檒l be some people in 鈥渟ome quarters,鈥� as Stegeman put it, who will howl in opposition.

But to Native American youths who struggle with identity and exclusion, the placement of the flags is more than symbolic.

鈥淭his is about inclusivity,鈥� said Lourdes Guedes Pereira, a senior at Pueblo Magnet High School.

鈥淓ducation is important to all of us, that鈥檚 why we鈥檙e here.鈥�

If it weren鈥檛 for culturally relevant programs 鈥渁 lot of us wouldn鈥檛 be here today.鈥�