In its fifth year at the University of Wisconsin – Madison School of Library and Information Studies (SLIS), TLAM is an experimental project to bring indigenous information topics to LIS education through service-learning, networking, and resource sharing with Wisconsin’s tribal cultural institutions. The TLAM Project currently encompasses a graduate topics course; the Convening Culture Keepers mini-conference series for Wisconsin tribal librarians, archivists, and museum curators; numerous community engagement projects with our partners; and a brand new TLAM Student Group.
Today's post on AICL is by Katelyn Martens, a student in the TLAM class. Published on the TLAM blog, I'm pleased to be able to share it here, too. Thanks, Katelyn! And check out her post about Sherman Alexie, too.
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“Indigenous Knowledge & Children’s Literature”*
Think about the types of children’s books you grew up
reading. Were American Indians present? What did you learn about them? Was it
factual or a misrepresentation? How did you know?
On Thursday, TLAM had the pleasure of chatting with Debbie
Reese, a respected educator who is tribally enrolled at Nambe Pueblo in
northern New Mexico. Debbie is an advocate for authentic American Indian
children’s literature, which led her to launch the American Indians in
Children’s Literature (AICL) blog in 2006. Through AICL, she challenges the
all-too-common misrepresentation of American Indians in children’s literature
and helps educators, librarians, and the general public find good materials.
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| Debbie highly recommends JINGLE DANCER |
While Debbie shared her thoughts on sovereignty, sacred
spaces, and politics, it was the issue of authenticity that I connected with
the most. As a future school librarian, my goal is to have a well-balanced
collection with titles that give students accurate, authentic representations
of American Indian communities. To do that, though, especially with limited
budgets, it’s essential that we all seek out reviews from respected,
knowledgeable sources. AICL is a great place to start!
It’s especially important because, as Debbie noted, many
books harbor “micro aggressions,” stereotypes that the majority culture may not
even acknowledge but harm others. Clifford’s
Halloween by Norman Bridwell (1986) is an example. Not only does Clifford
wear a large headdress of feathers, he appears to be smoking a “peace pipe” and
wears a serious expression. This image conveys many stereotypes to children,
including that “Indians” are something to dress up as rather than people living
in contemporary societies, working at contemporary professions, and living
amongst the general American public.
It’s through librarian and educators in alliance with
American Indian communities that we can present contemporary images, truthful
histories, and well-researched stories to our young people. I’ll make a
concerted effort to align my book choices with her suggestions.
Thank you, Debbie, for taking the time to share your
knowledge with us!
-Katelyn Martens
Debbie’s recommendations on what to look for in children’s
literature:
- Books giving information in contemporary society
- Tribally specific texts
- Books affirming American Indian cultures – these must be well researched
She suggests that librarians and educators should:
- Know at least one nation in-depth through reading and research
- Visit tribal websites with children in order to learn about their everyday lives
- Speak up for great children’s books so they stay in print
- Speak out on problematic texts in order to promote better alternatives
*Disclaimer: All
personal opinions are my own and do not represent all members of the TLAM
class, TLAM student group, Debbie Reese, or other affiliated parties.
