Advice on observing Native American Ministries Sunday - Nov. '09
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Janet Camp, Enid Intertribal Council member, describes her baskets.
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Do teach Native history as a regular part of U.S. history. Don’t teach about "Indians" only at Thanksgiving.
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Do talk about the lives of Native peoples in the present. Don’t assume you have no Native children in your class.
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Do make sure you know the history of Native peoples, past and present, before you attempt to teach it. Don’t use books that show Native people as savages, primitive craftspeople or simple tribal people, now extinct.
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Do present Native peoples as separate from each other, with unique cultures, languages, spiritual beliefs and dress. Don’t assume that every Native person knows everything about every Native nation.
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Do look for books and materials written and illustrated by Native people. Don’t use ABC books that have "I is for Indian" or "E is for Eskimo." Don’t sing "10 Little Indians."
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Do avoid arts and crafts and activities that trivialize Native dress, dance or ceremony. Don’t have children dress up as "Indians," with paper-bag costumes or paper-feather headdresses. Don’t have them make "Indian crafts" unless you know authentic methods and have authentic materials.
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Do use materials that present Native heroes who fought to defend their people. Do use materials that show Native women, elders and children as integral and important to Native societies. Don’t use materials that present as heroes only those Native people who aided Europeans.
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Do use respectful language in teaching about Native peoples. Don’t refer to Native spirituality as "superstition."
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Don’t use insulting terms such as "brave," "squaw," "papoose," "Indian givers" or "wild Indians."
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Do portray Native societies as coexisting with nature in a delicate balance. Don’t portray Native peoples as "the first ecologists."
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Do invite Native community members to school classrooms. Offer an honorarium. Treat them as teachers, not as entertainers.
--Adapted from the poster "Teaching Respect for Native Peoples,"
© 1993 by Oyate, a nonprofit Native advocacy group | |
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