Permission to use phoro granted by Katahdin Productions 5/29/2008

When I first saw the above photo, I assumed the man with the cowboy hat was from Montana. Did you not think the same? When I found out otherwise, I was embarrassed! After all, I have worked on stereotypes and even given presentations about Native American literature for over three years. I should know better!

This is an example of how prevalent stereotypes are in our society. No matter how much we have studied, read, examined ourselves, or attempted to teach others, we all have perceptions of others that affect how we think and act.

First Point:
The prevalence of stereotypes is the first of three points I want to make for you in this article (the tribes represented in the photo are named at the end of the resource list below). I challenge you to examine your own biases – even if you think you don’t have any!

Second Point:
The second point is to remind you of culturally appropriate and historically accurate resources on Native Americans and especially the Maine tribes, often referred to as the Wabanaki. Many new resources becoming available are a result of LD291(An Act to Require Teaching of Maine Native American History and Culture in Maine's Schools). I challenge you to examine at least one new resource today:

Resources:

• NEW! 2007American Indian Library Association Youth Book Awards:
• Debbie Reese’s Blog: American Indians in Children’s Literature
• (Look at the 2/13/08 posting listing several ‘leveled’ titles you can recommend to your literacy specialists!)
• Also, new! Wabanaki Connections Blog:
• Lynn’s PortaPortal:
• Photo of 4 tribes in Washington D.C: The lady with the traditional regalia and holding the feather is Northern Cheyenne, from Montana, and the man with the cowboy hat, his wife, and teenage son, are Eastern Navajo, from Arizona! The couple with the young child on the right are Gwich’in, from Alaska, and you may also recognize Barry Dana (center) of the Penobscot Nation.

Third Point
The third point is how important it is to share something of your work with the rest of us. Don’t be shy! It does not matter how minor one of your daily endeavors may seem. When I first simply agreed to serve on a committee to create units of study to help educators implement LD291, I had no idea how often I would be called on to share my experience and the knowledge and resources I had amassed.

Your own school has benefitted from your expertise – now we’d like to hear about it! MASL and the upcoming, newly revamped Maine Libraries Conference are great ways to spread the word. Not only did I receive financial and professional support from my school district, MASL has also been a huge supporter of my work in this project.

I challenge you to speak up and share! I did; so can you!