American Indians in Children's Literature

After reading Dr. Debbie Reese's blog, "American Indians in Children's Literature" I was astounded by the portrayals of American Indians in so many books that I enjoyed as a child. These representations are stereotypical and sometimes even extremely racist. However, as children, they slip by us unnoticed, to be carried subconsciously with us through life.

For example, Curious George portrays Native Americans in a very stereotypical fashion. In the his alphabet book, the small letter T is portrayed with a tomahawk, as Dr. Reese points out. The page then describes a Native American using a tomahawk and living in a tepee. Not all Native American cultures used tomahawks or lived in tepees, yet as children, we come to believe that they do. When we think of Native Americans, this is the image that comes forth. The native with a full headdress, war paint, tomahawk, and living in a tepee. It's upsetting to see so many unique cultures blanketed into one idea, giving so many children around the world only one idea of such a vast array of people.

After reading Dr. Reese's blog, I was able to focus more critically on Sherman Alexie's novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian. Alexie is a Spokane Indian who grew up in Wellpinit, part of an Indian reservation. He writes the story as a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age story for the young protagonist, Arnold Spirit (Junior). When I read this text, I focused on the differences between the stereotypical views of non-Indian texts and the more real views of Alexie's. In Little House on the Prairie, for example, the Native Americans are portrayed as uncivilized savages that were meant to be feared. However, in Alexie's novel, the Native Americans are like everyone else, they attend school, hold funerals for lost family members, and play basketball. They are multi-faceted and vary in traditions and dreams. They are real characters in real situations, not just the backdrop addition to a frontier story.

After reading Dr. Reese's blog, I will certainly be reading texts more critically and with a more open mind to the devices and motivation of the author.