For+Teachers

Many children's and young-adult books that depict Native Americans - both new books and "classics" - contain stereotypes, biased language, and factual inaccuracies. These problems do not necessarily preclude their use in a classroom; teachers can begin with discussion about stereotyping and help students to identify passages that contain stereotypes, or they can ask students to check the book's accuracy by doing research about the culture and time period it depicts. By making themselves aware of these problems ahead of time, teachers can decide whether they want to take the extra time necessary to support students' analysis of a problematic book, or whether they want to find a more accurately-written replacement.

For more information on common stereotypes, see the Smithsonian Anthropology Outreach Office's [|Erasing Native American Stereotypes].

The following resources provide detailed reviews (both positive and negative) of books with Native American themes and characters: Doris Seale and Beverly Slapin, eds., //A Broken Flute: The Native Experience in Books for Children// (Oyate, 2005).

Debbie Reese, [|American Indians in Children’s Literature: Recommended Children’s/YA/Reference/Resource Books].

Oyate ([])