ITHACA, N.Y. (WHCU) – A flag to honor native culture and people now flies at Ithaca High School.

The Ithaca City School District (ICSD) Board of Education approved the flying of the Haudenosaunee flag last week. The proposal, first introduced by students in September, was recently modified after consulting with the indigenous community.

The flag represents the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, a group of six Native American nations that occupied the area historically. They include the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora. The flag depicts the Hiawatha belt and represents unity, peace, and strength among the six nations.

All 12 school campuses in the Ithaca City School District are on traditional lands. Eleven are on Cayuga Nation lands, while the Caroline Elementary School sits on Onondaga Nation land. Talks on flying the flag at all schools in ICSD will continue.