CCBC-Net Archives
new, & Re: ccbc-net partial digest etc.
- Contemporary messages sorted: [ by date ] [ by subject ] [ by author ]
From: Jean Mendoza <jamendoz>
Date: Sun, 24 Oct 1999 13:22:57 -0500
Eliza and all,
I'm newly subscribed after some difficulty, and appreciated the partial digest sampler. You've obviously had some rip-roaring conversations.
It seems only polite to introduce myself. One of my major interests is in the psychological "uses" of children's books -- not in bibliotherapy, but in how books may influence a child's sense of belonging in the world. I'm a doctoral student in curriculum & instruction (early childhood); former English major; teaching a child lit course; have taught in early childhood programs for 20 years or so; have also been a child/abuse neglect caseworker, a therapist for young children & their families, & a small-town journalist. Also, am euro-american, married to a Creek/Mexican man, with two teenage sons, a stepson & a stepdaughter (both "steps" are in their 20's). The family information is offered because it affects how I come at some children's literature issues. I do have aesthetic responses to literature, but the first response is often more in the Psych arena.
I'm anxious to see more of what people think of Heart of a Chief! I read it a few weeks ago and immediately recommended it to both my sons, neither of whom took me up on the recommendation. Maybe someday. Maybe Chris' experience is too close to home for them, for we live in the shadow of Chief Illiniwek ("honored Indian symbol" of a university that neither recruits Native students nor offers a Native studies program). They have both spoken out on the Indians-as-mascots issue, but have a kind of resistance-rest cycle in dealing with it: they'll argue in class or make a speech, then disengage for awhile, then speak out again, then chill.
While I think the way Bruchac presents the story can be appealing for any reader, it pulled me in for a couple of reasons. First, I was caught up in his description of the school experience, comparing it with narratives from our Passamaquoddy-Creek niece and nephew, who attended off-reservation schools in Maine. Both had a sense of walking through alien territory on a daily basis. Unfortunately, neither our niece or nephew felt they had the kind of allies at school that Chris has (or discovers). Second, the book is partly about becoming activist for highly political causes, for reasons that aren't actually political, and when one may not be "activist" by nature. That's a statement I can't really back up yet; need to re-read & think more about it but would appreciate anyone's thoughts on the differentiation I'm trying to make there. Also, Chris' involvement puts him at odds both with mainstream culture of which he is NOT a part, and with people within the community where he
"belongs" (or where he has belonged until he begins to speak out on an issue that is not really economic but has economic ramifications). A tricky place to be psychologically; but in my opinion Bruchac captures the subtleties as well as the obvious in portraying what it's like to more or less find your self acting from a place within yourself that you didn't know existed.
I appreciated reference to John Trudell. I like Grafitti Man, though it's different from my usual taste in CD's. And flawed though Thunderheart may have been, I liked Trudell's screen presence. . . . Then last weekend we heard him in person. He was amazing. He followed Ulali and a drum group from Chicago. We'd only ever seen him in blue jeans, but he walked onto the high school auditorium stage in a rather rumpled brown suit, wearing reading glasses & carrying a sheaf of papers. He set the papers down on a tall stool, announced, "I don't know how this is going to go. We'll see." (or words to that effect), and began to read poetry. He'd read for awhile -- intense, ferocious stuff -- then take off his glasses, set the papers down, and pace around the stage, talking to us about power/authority, connection, being human. Then he'd pick up the papers, put the glasses back on, read again. For an hour or more. It wasn't preaching
(or at least it wasn't preachy); it was . . . something else. Anyway, I recommend listening to Trudell for its own sake & to help get some context for HOC. What he says about power is closely connected with Chris' behavior & that of his friends.
Violet Harris & others wrote about books influencing world views and interactions with others. It seems to me that one way a book like HOC might influence young readers, including Native kids, might be to offer hope in situations that can appear impervious to change. Chris' willingness to speak out does isolate him from people within and outside his community, but it also opens the door to new alliances, including friendships.
Making sure a book like HOC is available to children expresses our commitment to a number of positive things, including (but not limited to) our commitment to help all kids understand that Native people exist in the present and are complete human beings.
Jean M.
.
.
________________________________ Jean Paine Mendoza, Doctoral Student
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
College of Education, UIUC
Champaign, IL 61820
Telephone: 217/244?86
FAX: 217/244E72
e-mail: jamendoz at uiuc.edu
Received on Sun 24 Oct 1999 01:22:57 PM CDT
Date: Sun, 24 Oct 1999 13:22:57 -0500
Eliza and all,
I'm newly subscribed after some difficulty, and appreciated the partial digest sampler. You've obviously had some rip-roaring conversations.
It seems only polite to introduce myself. One of my major interests is in the psychological "uses" of children's books -- not in bibliotherapy, but in how books may influence a child's sense of belonging in the world. I'm a doctoral student in curriculum & instruction (early childhood); former English major; teaching a child lit course; have taught in early childhood programs for 20 years or so; have also been a child/abuse neglect caseworker, a therapist for young children & their families, & a small-town journalist. Also, am euro-american, married to a Creek/Mexican man, with two teenage sons, a stepson & a stepdaughter (both "steps" are in their 20's). The family information is offered because it affects how I come at some children's literature issues. I do have aesthetic responses to literature, but the first response is often more in the Psych arena.
I'm anxious to see more of what people think of Heart of a Chief! I read it a few weeks ago and immediately recommended it to both my sons, neither of whom took me up on the recommendation. Maybe someday. Maybe Chris' experience is too close to home for them, for we live in the shadow of Chief Illiniwek ("honored Indian symbol" of a university that neither recruits Native students nor offers a Native studies program). They have both spoken out on the Indians-as-mascots issue, but have a kind of resistance-rest cycle in dealing with it: they'll argue in class or make a speech, then disengage for awhile, then speak out again, then chill.
While I think the way Bruchac presents the story can be appealing for any reader, it pulled me in for a couple of reasons. First, I was caught up in his description of the school experience, comparing it with narratives from our Passamaquoddy-Creek niece and nephew, who attended off-reservation schools in Maine. Both had a sense of walking through alien territory on a daily basis. Unfortunately, neither our niece or nephew felt they had the kind of allies at school that Chris has (or discovers). Second, the book is partly about becoming activist for highly political causes, for reasons that aren't actually political, and when one may not be "activist" by nature. That's a statement I can't really back up yet; need to re-read & think more about it but would appreciate anyone's thoughts on the differentiation I'm trying to make there. Also, Chris' involvement puts him at odds both with mainstream culture of which he is NOT a part, and with people within the community where he
"belongs" (or where he has belonged until he begins to speak out on an issue that is not really economic but has economic ramifications). A tricky place to be psychologically; but in my opinion Bruchac captures the subtleties as well as the obvious in portraying what it's like to more or less find your self acting from a place within yourself that you didn't know existed.
I appreciated reference to John Trudell. I like Grafitti Man, though it's different from my usual taste in CD's. And flawed though Thunderheart may have been, I liked Trudell's screen presence. . . . Then last weekend we heard him in person. He was amazing. He followed Ulali and a drum group from Chicago. We'd only ever seen him in blue jeans, but he walked onto the high school auditorium stage in a rather rumpled brown suit, wearing reading glasses & carrying a sheaf of papers. He set the papers down on a tall stool, announced, "I don't know how this is going to go. We'll see." (or words to that effect), and began to read poetry. He'd read for awhile -- intense, ferocious stuff -- then take off his glasses, set the papers down, and pace around the stage, talking to us about power/authority, connection, being human. Then he'd pick up the papers, put the glasses back on, read again. For an hour or more. It wasn't preaching
(or at least it wasn't preachy); it was . . . something else. Anyway, I recommend listening to Trudell for its own sake & to help get some context for HOC. What he says about power is closely connected with Chris' behavior & that of his friends.
Violet Harris & others wrote about books influencing world views and interactions with others. It seems to me that one way a book like HOC might influence young readers, including Native kids, might be to offer hope in situations that can appear impervious to change. Chris' willingness to speak out does isolate him from people within and outside his community, but it also opens the door to new alliances, including friendships.
Making sure a book like HOC is available to children expresses our commitment to a number of positive things, including (but not limited to) our commitment to help all kids understand that Native people exist in the present and are complete human beings.
Jean M.
.
.
________________________________ Jean Paine Mendoza, Doctoral Student
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
College of Education, UIUC
Champaign, IL 61820
Telephone: 217/244?86
FAX: 217/244E72
e-mail: jamendoz at uiuc.edu
Received on Sun 24 Oct 1999 01:22:57 PM CDT
