American Indian Stereotypes in the World of Children - 2nd Edition,Annotated (Paperback)

About the Book

The world of contemporary American infants and young children is saturated with inappropriate images of American Indians. American Indian Stereotypes in the World of Children reveals and discusses these images and cultural stereotypes through writings like Kathy Kerner's previ...

Book Synopsis

The world of contemporary American infants and young children is saturated with inappropriate images of American Indians. American Indian Stereotypes in the World of Children reveals and discusses these images and cultural stereotypes through writings like Kathy Kerner's previously unpublished essay on Thanksgiving and an essay by Dr. Cornell Pewewardy on Disney's Pocahontas film. This edition incorporates new writings and recent developments, such as a chronology documenting changes associated with the mascot issue, along with information on state legislation. Other new material incorporates powerful commentary by Native American veterans, who speak to the issue of stereotyping against their people in the military. Also includes a new expanded annotated bibliography.

Review Quotes

"This timely collection of essays forcefully confronts the negative racist images and stereotypes employed to dehumanize and subjugate Native Americans. What unites these essays is a common focus on the social construction and maintenance of racial stereotyping through the media, through toys, games, and recreational activities, and through texts and curricula in schools. The editors of this anthology make it abundantly clear that they want to expose and exorcise these powerful, prejudicial demons from the American mind. These essays should galvanize classroom discussions and stimulate reflection and social change. No teacher or student of social studies can afford to be without this work." --Lois Benjamin, Ph.D., Professor and Author of The Black Elite: Facing the Color Line in the Twilight of the Twentieth Century

"This book provides an excellent guide to the common, stereotypical images of Native American peoples that exist throughout our literature and media, along with clear and insightful explanations of why they are problematic...it should be extremely useful to educators, researchers or anyone interested in knowing what is stereotypical, for it provides-in addition to comprehensive essays in this area-a rich set of educational aids and resources. These include an extensive bibliography by subject area; web site listings; audiovisual resources; relevant newspapers and magazines; and collections of interviews and personal accounts by contemporary Native Americans." --Clara Rodriguez, Ph.D., Professor, Fordham University, and Author of Latin Looks: Images of Latinas and Latinos in the U.S. Media

"This important title should be required reading for librarians, especially those in collection development, as well as educators." --VOYA

"This is an excellent chronicling of the subtly and insidiously pervasive stereotypes of Native Americans embedded in our culture." --Journal Of Children's Literature

"The second edition of American Indian Stereotypes in the World of Children: A Reader and Bibliography is an outstanding reference work designed to shock adults into understanding that the People of the sovereign Native nations in the United States and Canada are not objects or subhuman. The wedding of writings from the first edition coupled with insightful essays and materials in the second makes the book a critically important reference work which should be an integral part of every classroom from kindergarten through graduate school." --Lee Francis (Laguna Pueblo), Ph.D., National Director, Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers & Storytellers; Director, Native American Studies, University of New M

The second edition of American Indian Stereotypes in the World of Children: A Reader and Bibliography is an outstanding reference work designed to shock adults into understanding that the People of the sovereign Native nations in the United States and Canada are not objects or subhuman. The wedding of writings from the first edition coupled with insightful essays and materials in the second makes the book a critically important reference work which should be an integral part of every classroom from kindergarten through graduate school.

This book provides an excellent guide to the common, stereotypical images of Native American peoples that exist throughout our literature and media, along with clear and insightful explanations of why they are problematic...it should be extremely useful to educators, researchers or anyone interested in knowing what is stereotypical, for it provides-in addition to comprehensive essays in this area-a rich set of educational aids and resources. These include an extensive bibliography by subject area; web site listings; audiovisual resources; relevant newspapers and magazines; and collections of interviews and personal accounts by contemporary Native Americans.

This important title should be required reading for librarians, especially those in collection development, as well as educators.

This is an excellent chronicling of the subtly and insidiously pervasive stereotypes of Native Americans embedded in our culture.

This timely collection of essays forcefully confronts the negative racist images and stereotypes employed to dehumanize and subjugate Native Americans. What unites these essays is a common focus on the social construction and maintenance of racial stereotyping through the media, through toys, games, and recreational activities, and through texts and curricula in schools. The editors of this anthology make it abundantly clear that they want to expose and exorcise these powerful, prejudicial demons from the American mind. These essays should galvanize classroom discussions and stimulate reflection and social change. No teacher or student of social studies can afford to be without this work.

About the Author

Arlene Hirschfelder is the author of award-winning nonfiction books as well as curricula, magazine articles, and bibliographies concerning Native Americans.
Paulette Fairbanks Molin is a member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe from the White Earth Reservation. She is a faculty member at Hampton University in Virginia. Yvonne Wakim, Cherokee/Arab, is a board member of Nitchen, Inc. (Our Children in the Lenni Lenape language). She helped create the Family Awareness Network, a holistic preventative mental health program for American Indian youth and their families.