Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Native American Image in Children’s Literature

Presently, discussions continue to occur about Native American image in the United States and Canada. These include how Native American Indians/Alaska Natives are represented and portrayed in film*, as sport mascots, and in literature.

If you are the parent of young child, or a K-12 educator, perhaps you have been concerned about how Native American Indians/Alaska Natives are presented in some children’s books. Perhaps you been concerned about the consequences of inadequate representation in some these purportedly educational resources. If so, you may be interested to learn about the American Indians in Children’s Literature (AICL) organization and the resources it provides.

Established in 2006 and operated today by Debbie Reese (Nambe Pueblo), the AICL provides critical perspectives and analysis of indigenous peoples in children's and young adult books, the school curriculum, popular culture, and society. The AICL operates a user-friendly website that allows the public to search for book reviews, learn about Native media, and more. For many, the AICL offers an important resource toward helping our schools and communities improve.

The AICL’s website can be accessed here; http://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/


* For those interested in a good educational program about Native American image in film see Reel Injun (2011). Website here; http://www.reelinjunthemovie.com/site/



Sealaska Heritage Institute was founded in 1980 to promote cultural diversity and cross-cultural understanding. The institute is governed by a Board of Trustees and guided by a Council of Traditional Scholars. Its mission is to perpetuate and enhance Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian cultures of Southeast Alaska.

2 comments:

Debbie Reese said...

Thank you for sending your readers to AICL.

If you or any of your readers would like me to look into a specific book, please let me know.

Again, thank you!

SHI Archivist said...

Debbie, thank you for all your good work and services to communities across the globe. :)