Throughout the years I have seen lots of examples involving stereotypes of Indigenous people. From Clifford dressed in a headdress to the Berenstain Bears at camp, from Stone Fox to minimizing the sacred Tlingit culture in Touching Spirit Bear, you don’t have to look far to see examples of damaging stereotypes in our school libraries.
Merriam-Webster defines a stereotype as a ‘standardized mental picture that is held in common by members of a group and that represents an oversimplified opinion, prejudiced attitude, or uncritical judgment.’
The image of Clifford wearing his “Indian Costume” is an example of an image that we have seen hundreds of times in cartoons, books, artwork, movies- the list goes on. What is damaging about this is that people begin to think of Indigenous people as all wearing headdresses, that it’s okay to dress up in costumes as Indigenous people, or that Indigenous people only exist in the past. We know these stereotypes are not true, because there are many First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples that have unique customs, traditions, languages, stories and histories, AND, it’s important to note that when thinking and teaching about Indigenous people, only in the past, it minimizes the fantastic things Indigenous people are still doing today!
What books should I use?
For too long Indigenous people have not had control over how we are represented in movies or on the news, or how we are taught about in schools. There are so many great resources available to teachers that are authored by Indigenous people that allow us to tell our stories in ways that are appropriate and DO NOT perpetuate stereotypes.
While I would love to give a list of “DO NOT READ THESE BOOKS”, there are far too many to include in this blog post.
I will however remind everyone what you can do to ensure the books you are reading are appropriate:
Make sure books about Indigenous people are written by Indigenous people: A quick Google search will help you find this out. It’s what I do when researching resources! Ensure you are using resources that include current representation of Indigenous people so students understand that Indigenous people are still here doing great things!
Check the date on the resource: Just because you’ve been reading a book to your class for years and no one has said anything about it doesn’t mean it’s appropriate. We have learned so much about cultural appropriation, systemic racism, and accurate representation of Indigenous people in just the past 10 years, and we really need to take time to reflect on our resources and our practices.
Remember: Nothing about us without us: I know I’ve said it a million times, but find resources ABOUT Indigenous people CREATED BY Indigenous people.
I Think I’ve Made A Mistake!
So, you’ve been reading a book that you now realize is problematic? What now?
First, it’s great that you have become aware of this and have taken the time to question your resources. Good job!
If you are in the middle of reading the book to your students, it’s time to stop and have a conversation about it, and why you probably shouldn’t finish it. Talk about stereotypes and why they are damaging. Discuss with the students what steps you should all take to fix this problem. This could be writing a letter to the publishing company explaining why this book is problematic, researching Indigenous authors, or perhaps making a list of books that your students would like to read. Using a fabulous book like, Go Show the World by Anishinaabe author, Wab Kinew can lead to great inquiry projects researching Indigenous heroes that challenge stereotypes.
If a student in your class, or someone else, points out that a book you are reading has stereotypes in it, or a book in the Learning Commons is offensive, have a conversation with that student. Listen to their concerns and take them seriously. Apologize and commend them for speaking up. It takes a lot of courage to do this! It is important for students to see that we as teachers can make mistakes, grow and learn together.
Books Can Be Windows or Mirrors
If you have been to one of my workshops you will recognize this infographic.
This shows us that White children see themselves represented and reflected in really great, positive ways, in children’s literature, 50% of the time. As we look to the left, the percentage gets smaller and smaller. Not only does that mirror reflecting the students get smaller, but it also becomes cracked and damaged. This represents the ways that students are being reflected in books. These include stereotypes, inaccuracies, and in the case of the Indigenous student, not hearing the stories of their people actually told by Indigenous voices.
Not only is the Indigenous student only seeing themselves 1% of the time in often damaging and stereotypical ways, but all the other students are also seeing this as well. The damaging images, outdated and offensive vocabulary and inaccuracies perpetuate oppression that has been happening for a very long time.
Be Wary of Teacher Pay Teachers!
There are lots of novel studies, or lessons for some of the books mentioned above on Teachers Pay Teachers. There are lots more that I haven’t even mentioned.
Go to the LKDSB Indigenous Education website to find lists of books written by Indigenous authors that are in every LKDSB Elementary School.
https://sites.google.com/lkdsb.com/lkdsb-indigenous-ed/home
Click on the “Books By Indigenous Authors” Tab at the top to see the list.
You can also go to: https://sites.google.com/lkdsb.com/schoolwidereadaloud to see some of my favourite picture books that have been paired with Ojibwe words and curriculum connections.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out!
Gretchen.sands-gamble@lkdsb.com
