From: Debbie Reese <d-reese>
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 1999 19:12:06 -0500

My hunch is that many are worn with the intensity of this month's discussion. It has been difficult. Part of me is glad that we've moved to the Bruchac interview and books, but there is still much we haven't even touched upon. There is so much to be done! So much growth that is yet to occur! So much to learn...

Books about Native Americans. Most are still written by people who aren't Native, and we have a great need for books that are written from an insider perspective.

I'm a bit reluctant to bring this up, but think it is important.

We have to be critical readers, and we have to take action, I think, if this body of literature is ever going to improve. By that, I mean we have to write to publishers, asking them to publish more Native authors. We need more books about modern day Native people. We need books with accuracy and authenticity. We have to see more Native people in other pockets of children's lit as well. We need more Native people in the reviewing arena, in the publishing houses...

Good intentions often go awry. And I think it is appropriate for authors/publishers to say so--to acknowledge books with problems when those problems are brought to their attention. St. Martin's Press is recalling the book about Bush. Can't that happen with children's books?

I think I'm beating around the bush here, so I'll stop and go right to the point.

Scholastic's book about Carlisle school (MY HEART IS ON THE GROUND) has been soundly critiqued by many people. Many people in the Native American community have written to Scholastic about the book. To these people, Scholastic replies, citing their fact checker, Genevieve Bell, who read the manuscript prior to publication.

Dr. Bell is angry over their use of her words. The bulk of the letter she sent to Scholastic warned them that Native people were going to be angry with the use of the dead children's names. Rather than reiterate her letter here, I'll provide the URL to the site that contains the full text of her letter. It is at
 .

I don't know what the behind-the-scenes is like at Scholastic, or any publishing house, for that matter. However, it seems to me that MHIOTG - with its factual errors, authenticity errors, and incredible lack of sensitivity with regard to Native Americans - is one that Scholastic could recall.

And if a recall isn't realistic, maybe they could take some other actions. A public apology to the Native people whose lives were hurt by this publication. Establishing a fund, using the proceeds from the sale of the book, to mentor Native authors.

The Canadian government apologized to the First Nations people for the residential schools they created for Native children there. This happened a few years ago. It was an official apology.

I wish that Scholastic would take a similar step. Some of the people who are angry at Scholastic are advocating a boycott of all their books. But they publish Shonto Begay and Michael Dorris, so I don't think a boycott is the answer. But a letter, asking them to recall this particular book, and requesting an apology, or establishing a fund... that doesn't seem unreasonable. At least, it doesn't seem unreasonable, to me.

Debbie Reese
 

_________________________________ Debbie Reese, Doctoral Student Dept. of Curriculum and Instruction College of Education, University of Illinois Champaign, IL 61820
               Telephone: 217$4?86 Fax: 217$4E72 Email: d-reese at uiuc.edu
Received on Wed 27 Oct 1999 07:12:06 PM CDT