Date: Thu, 12 Oct 2000 15:00:19 -0400
Subject: Re: museumizing the other/native.....


If you've not already, you should read Tom King's -green grass running
water-. The issues that you've run into with your son pervade the
narrative, as a collection of "modern" Indians negotiate their way
past/through/around/within their "traditional" culture.

It's also one of the very funniest books ever written.

Mac.

> Michelle Rader wrote:
> 
>     I noticed on the local news the other day a clip on a local(Chico,
> CA, USA) elementary school class spending a day on "Indian" study,
> doing projects related to the "traditional Indian culture"  (meaning
> Native American).  It made me think a great deal about the U.S. school
> curriculum and how it may inadvertantly contribute to this
> "museumizing" by concentrating on certain glorified "traditional"
> objects and practices of native peoples without teaching their
> current lifestyles and situations, which may be very different from
> what is taught in the school's program.  In this way I think the
> American school children may get a very stereotyped perception of
> native people and culture that is highly inaccurate!
>      I know that my preschool-aged son has come home with just such
> ideas...that "Indians" are very different from us.  (I have had
> numerous talks with him since, pointing out that yes there may be some
> cultural and physical differences but that all people are unique in
> many different ways, which is what makes this world interesting, but
> that also they are still "just people" like ourselves with many of the
> same feelings and experiences we have.....that many of those "Indians"
> live and work and go to school in our community just like we do, and
> look and dress just like us, etc., etc. ....)
>     Of course, these perceptions are also perpetuated by many other
> sources in our society, such as movies and television, children's
> books, museum displays, etc..
>     Is this something that is pervasive out there, or is it just my
> personal observation? Any comments?  Suggestions for change????
> 
> Michelle Rader

-- 

Mac Fenwick
English Department
Trent University
Homepage: http://www.trentu.ca/~mfenwick/


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