- Don't
assume you have no Native Students, clients, colleagues, neighbors,
etc.
-
Don't talk about Indians as though they belong to the past. (e.g.,
"When Indians lived here....")
-
Don't regard as heroes only those Native leaders who are believed
to helped Europeans, e.g. Pocahontas, Squanto, Sacajawea.
-
Don't think of all Native Americans as one monolithic group. (e.g.,
"Indians were nomadic.")
-
Don't expect any Indians to look like Hollywood movie "Indians".
-
Don't let the TV and movie stereotypes go unchallenged.
-
Don't assume all Indians are well acquainted with their own heritage
or that of other Native nations, or that they are "one with
nature."
-
Don't let people think that Native ways of life have no meaning
today.
-
Don't regard it as an honor to Native people to name sports teams
or mascots or consumer goods for them.
-
Do look for books and materials written and illustrated by Native
people.
-
Do look for materials which show Native women, Elders and children
as integral and important to Native societies.
-
Do talk about Native People in the present.
-
Do focus on the positive contributions Native People are making
and have made to the American Society
|
| Remember
that intercultural sensitivity can be a difficult skill to learn.
We all must remember that the development of this ability demands
careful, honest examination of one's own awareness and attitudes.
|
|
| HOW
TO BRING NONINDIANS UP TO DATE |
| 1. |
Consider
using times besides November to focus on Native people, since many
Indians do not regard the Pilgrim's first "Thanksgiving"
with great warmth. It also tends to be prime time for transmitting
offensive stereotypes about Indians. |
| 2. |
Be
aware of how often the references made to Indians use the past tense.
You will probably find yourself and others doing this on a regular
basis. |
| FOR
TEACHERS: |
| 3. |
If
you're not very sure about the meaning and appropriateness of an
activity, do your homework! Know thoroughly what it is you are teaching
about before you get the students involved. Then ask yourself, "How
would I feel if a teacher did a similar activity with my own culture
or religion?" For example, kachinas are very sacred to the Hopi
people. Before you institute a "fun" activity involving
kachina masks, ask yourself how you would feel if a teacher had children
perform a "fun" pretend Communion service to teach about
Christian culture. |
| 4. |
Use
role play to help students put themselves in situations that Native
People have faced, and talk about their reactions. How would they
feel? What would they do? (eg., you see your house set on fire; everything
that is yours is stolen by strangers who come to their house, school,
community, claiming it for their own.) Be very sure you know the history
and traditional Native values you are conveying and that you want
the class to understand. |
| 5. |
Plan
current Indian activities for multicultural day assembly programs.
(Other cultures don't present activities from past centuries.) e.g.,
students can construct a display of traditional and modern houses
(including apartment houses) or a display of how Native nations fought
back against colonialism from Columbus to the present. You might want
to have the class demonstrate a PowWow. This is very tricky to do
in an accurate and respectful way. "Indian" art activities
are often limited to replicating simplistic and even ridiculous stereotypes,
such as construction paper feather headbands and cardboard tomahawks.
There is a danger that having nonNative children attempt to perform
Native dances without accurate instruction will simply be one more
of those distorted misrepresentations. Some Native people don't believe
it's acceptable at all. If you do decide to do it, taking the class
to a PowWow, or at least going to one yourself, is a good place to
start gathering information and meeting local Native people who can
help you. |
| 6. |
After
students have learned about the current lives of Native people, help
them answer questions like: where do Indian people live today, and
what types of houses do they live in, etc.? What are the problems
Indian people have now? Don't forget the local Indian people. Sharing
our Worlds, produced by the united Indians of All Tribes Foundation,
is a good book to use. (Available from Oyate books to avoid. http://www.oyate.org/main.html) |
| 7. |
Look
for materials that have modern pictures of Indian people in books,
newspapers, magazines and PowWow snapshots. |
| WHEN
SELECTING A SPEAKER |
8.
|
Invite
several speakers to the class. Remember: not all Indians know about
their own history. Those who know about their history may be unable
to answer questions about other nations, e.g., Pueblo Indians |
|
- ask
the speaker if there is a charge, and if there is not, do offer
an honorarium if you can.
- be
sure to remind the adult(s) of the age and attention span of the
audience.
- encourage
speakers to speak honestly. Ask them to tell about the experiences
he and his people or she and her people have undergone, especially
in areas such as education. Tell them about what your class has
been learning.
- Don't
ask speakers to "dress up Indian" for the group. This
feeds the Hollywood stereotype. The speaker may wish to dress
in dance regalia and even dance for you, but he or she may not
be comfortable doing this. It would be better to leave this decision
to the speaker. Ask him/her to bring items of interest.
- be
sure to check with other people who have used speakers for their
feedback on the quality of the talk.
- don't
forget to ask the speaker what he or she would most like others
to know.
-
realize that the extent of discrimination which this person and
his or her people may have gone through could be beyond your imagination.
The speaker may still harbor negative feelings toward the dominant
society.
- encourage
the class to give a gift when the speaker is introduced.
- write
a thankyou note and encourage the class to include drawings or
writings about what they learned.
|
| |
| CHECKLIST
FOR ACCURACY AND APPROPRIATENESS |
| 1. |
Does
this book or idea tell the truth? Is it free of misleading oversimplifications
or factual errors? Does it give insight into the complexity and diversity
of Native cultures and Native peoples? |
| 2. |
Is
this book, idea, or activity respectful of the People? Would it help
a nonnative child accept that "Indians are people, like me"?
Would it make a Native child proud of his/her heritage? |
| 3. |
Is this book, idea or activity free of anything that would foster
stereotypical thinking in a nonNative child? (Note: a good source
on line is Paula Giese book review) |
| 4. |
If
you are considering a book, were Native people involved in the writing,
illustrating or production? |
| 5. |
Is
this book or activity free of anything that would embarrass or hurt
a Native child? |
| 6. |
Can
this material be used to enhance a variety of themes, not just "Native
studies?" |
| 7. |
If
I substitute my own religion, ethnic background, culture, customs,
etc. for those in this activity, would I feel respected? Or would
we find ourselves making construction paper crucifixes and "playing
Catholic"? |
| 8. |
Are
contemporary Indian people portrayed or are the stories, pictures,
clothing, etc. used only historical? |
| 9. |
Is
the material free of the following: demeaning vocabulary? Indians
talking like Tonto? Indians who belong to the "FeatherBonnet
Tribe?" Comic interludes built upon firewater and stupidity?
Indians portrayed as an extinct species? Indians who are either noble
or savage? Patronizing tone? |
| 10. |
IS
INDIAN HUMANNESS RECOGNIZED? |
| |
|
WHAT
ABOUT THOSE MASCOTS
At a recent conference, a Cleveland resident asked Abenaki storyteller
Joseph Bruchac what he thinks of the controversy surrounding use
of Indian nicknames and mascots among sports teams, such as the
Cleveland Indians. Bruchac replied, "It's one of those examples
of how racism against Native people is still accepted when racism
against no other group is accepted within this culture."
Americans
do a strange dance with illogic when it comes to the mascotizing
of Native people. This is best illustrated by substituting any other
culture, race or ethnic group for that of Indians, not only as sports
mascots but also as symbols to sell retail goods. Imagine the Kansas
City Jews, complete with yarmulkes and imitations of Hebrew chants
when a touchdown is scored. Imagine a Jeep Philipino.
Imagine
the Washington Niggers. I hate to even put that word into print,
but the term "Redskin" is perceived by most Native people
as being as hurtful and offensive as the "N" word is to
AfricanAmericans. Consider for that team a logo of "Chief BoogaBooga,"
the equivalent of Cleveland's "Chief Wahoo," and a parody
of spearthrowing as the equivalent of Atlanta's "tomahawk chop."
Unthinkable, isn't it?
Some
argue that no one protests the use of the name "Packers"
or "Steelers" or "Oilers" (also real people)
for the Green Bay, Pittsburgh and Houston teams. But those are communities
celebrating their own occupational trademarks. Some argue that the
Cleveland Indians were named for a Native major league baseball
player (true), and that the team name therefore honors a real person.
But Louis Sockalexis did not look like Cleveland's goofy logo. No,
This is about caricaturing a people; hurting people's feelings.
What about how Indian children feel?
So
why this blind spot for a racist practice we wouldn't tolerate toward
any other group? Is it because we believe Indians no longer exist?
Are less than human and don't have feelings? Don't count? Aren't
real? Are few in number and so don't matter? Are the source of our
own guilt and must therefore be made light of, because to take this
issue seriously means opening up the can of worms of our entire
history? (BINGO!!)
It
should be enough to say that if Native people are hurt by the mascotizing
of their people and the commercialization of their names, and they
are, then it shouldn't be done. But the blind spot is instructive.
To look deeply into our reasons for ignoring their insistent objections
is to see our own pathology.
|
| |
|
From
The Blue Corn Comics Web Site: http://www.bluecorncomics.com/stharm.htm
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