This article originally appeared in the November-December 2001 issue of the Children's Advocate, published by Action Alliance for Children.

Focus on American Indian Children

American Indian educators discuss positive ways to teach about their peoples

By Jessine Foss

"We need to educate respectfully about other peoples, not to perpetuate stereotypes," says Paula Starr (Cheyenne-Arapaho), executive director of the Southern California Indian Center. "During Thanksgiving children make war bonnets without realizing the religious significance. We hold eagle feathers in high regard . [it] seems almost sacrilegious to us."

American Indian educators offer recommendations for talking with students about American Indians:

Emphasize present tense: "We are not extinct and we are not in the past tense," says Starr.

Viola Martinez (Paiute), now retired from the Los Angeles Unified School District, would begin her third-grade class by placing baskets around the room that her students could see and touch. She asked the children to think about why, and one child would guess, "'You're part Indian.'" She would then explain how the baskets were used and what they were made from.

John Orendorff (Cherokee), college counselor at Belmont High School, recommends looking at current American Indians, such as Wilma Mankiller, former chief of the Cherokee nation, Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell (Cheyenne), and Cory Witherill (Navajo), a race car driver. For younger children, invite speakers or read children's books about American Indians (see Continuing traditions: Stories of Native American children today, along with traditional tales, give children from all backgrounds a glimpse into American Indian life).

Bring in speakers: For guest speakers or advice, contact local tribes, particularly storytellers and historians to talk about local customs. American Indian centers or education programs, libraries, or universities with American Indian studies departments might also be helpful.

Study specific tribes: "Tribes in California are totally different than on the Plains: they each have a distinct culture, language, and history. Make connections for students to where they are living, recognizing that the Native way of life was tied to the land," says Andre Cramblit (Karuk), former president of the California Indian Education Association.

Address negative stereotypes: "If students have derogatory comments, ask them, 'why do you say this? Why do you feel this way?'" says Martinez. Then discuss stereotyping-its causes and effects.

Celebrate the heritage of all children: Martinez created opportunities for students to share their own cultural backgrounds. On Fridays, when students learned about cooking, they would bring in their favorite recipes as well as recipes from their parents or grandparents.

Teach American Indian history: It's important to look at historical events from an American Indian viewpoint, says Cramblit, adding "there was a genocide here of proportions unequaled anywhere else."

In fourth grade, for example, children in California study the mission system and build models of a particular mission. "I would not have a Jewish child build a model of Auschwitz," Cramblit comments. "We worked out with our school district [to allow American Indian children] to build models of traditional housing." He suggests that teachers ask students what they know about the missions, then read stories from a Native perspective on the impact and long-term effects of missions on the daily life of California Native peoples.

Working with younger children, "I would talk about different ways of subsisting and getting along," says Martinez. "I would tell this story: My uncle lived in three places during the year. In the summer he lived by the water and planted crops, in the fall he lived elsewhere and hunted, to store food for the winter. I'm sure the white man did not know this. And when he saw where my uncle lived, and how beautiful it was, he stayed. And when my uncle came back, there was a struggle over who would leave."

"California history standards leave so much out, not just about American Indians, but about other ethnic groups too," says Starr. "We need the opportunity to rewrite our history from our perspective, then we would show the true diversity of this country."

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