[CALIBK12] non-readers into readers

[Cummings, Bruce]

Hello all,

 

With my response, I am not attempting to resurrect the debate over
Touching Spirit Bear.  However, I want to challenge what I see as a
perhaps utilitarian set of criteria on evaluating a book.  I ran across
an article today when teaching sophomores about finding sources on their
"media literacy" research project that spoke to this thread.

 

"Positive Portrayals Can Cause Offense, Too (sidebar)."  Issues &
Controversies On File  24 Aug. 2007. Issues & Controversies.  Facts On
File News Services.  19 May 2009  <http://www.2facts.com>.

One ... critic is academic C. Richard King, who asserts that
superficially positive portrayals of Native Americans can sometimes go
awry. King notes that a common stereotype is the "noble savage" Native
American character, who is depicted as "a child of nature" with
"superhuman strength, grace and bravery." He cites the friendly Lakota
tribe in the 1990 epic Dances with Wolves as an example of the
stereotype in action.  

While King admits that the Hollywood "noble savage" image seems positive
at first glance--particularly to viewers with environmentalist
sentiments--he concludes that it can ultimately mislead audiences. "Even
though the connection between Indians and nature is cast in positive
terms, it is important to note that such images are stereotypes that
limit the humanity of indigenous peoples to a small set of attributes,
qualities, and capacities, and should be seen as just as debilitating as
ideas that appear negative and harmful," he writes.

 

Since many of my students had not seen this film, I used Disney's
Pocahontas as my illustration.

 

To this insight I wish to add my favorite quote from Jamie McKenzie
(http://fno.org/may98/cov98may.html) 

What we have is a societal shift toward glib and facile understandings
allied with an archaic school research program (in some places) that
places little value upon questioning and original thought.

 

I'm glad for books that motivate students to read, and Touching Spirit
Bear may be one of those books.  If I become aware something may be
superficial, I want to encourage students to go deeper.  How about The
Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian?

 

I don't mean to disparage anyone; I certainly don't have a comprehensive
response to this issue.  But if Jamie McKenzie's quote is true (and I
believe it is) and our job is to counter the shift (and I believe it
is), then we have a professional obligation to address this issue.

 

Cheers,

Bruce Cummings

Teacher-Librarian

 

El Camino High School

1320 Mission Road

South San Francisco, CA 94080

(650) 877-8806 ext. 6028

fax: (650) 589-2343

email: bcummings at ssfusd.org

-----Original Message-----



 

 

 

The really difficult question for librarians is, if one group says a

book is insensitive do we get rid of it?  How many Native Americans does

Mikaelson need to line up to establish his cultural street cred?  Has

anyone pulled Touching Spirit Bear?  That book has turned many of my

non-readers into readers.  Is that fact alone enough to counter the

culturally insensitive charges?

 

With more questions than answers,

 

Tony

 

--------------------------------------------------

Anthony Doyle, Teacher Librarian

Livingston High School

Livingston, CA

tdoyle at muhsd.k12.ca.us

 

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