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Island of the Blue Dolphins
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From: Debbie Reese <dreese.nambe_at_gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 01 Mar 2013 06:52:17 -0600
A few days ago, Travis Jonker (blogger at SLJ) posted an infographic of books that won the Newbery Medal. I was disheartened to see that the all time best selling Newbery Medal winner is ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS.
It does not reflect the millions of people who buy it, so obviously it tells us that people will buy books that do not reflect who they are. It tells us there is a market for "other."
But what if that "other" is incorrect, as is the case in ISLAND?
The very reason Karana is alone on that island is, O'Dell tells us, because Aleut's killed Karana's people. We are expected to believe this killing was due to the valiant efforts of her people to make the Russian captain and his Aleut crew pay for the goods they were making off with. As a book buying society, that theme (Indians killing Indians) is one we expect, it is one we accept. It conforms to our expectations. The heroic Indian also conforms to our expectations. It is what drives love of mascots.
That's a classic good-Indian/bad-Indian motif. In this video, you see that good-Indian/bad-Indian motif turned into a News story by two students who read ISLAND (they used modeling clay to create the people; one is the reporter, one is the person being interviewed, and in the background are Ghalas-at people lying on the ground with red clay on their bodies and sticks embedded in their bodies):
However!
The Aleut's who were on that Russian ship were not there by choice. They were enslaved, and were told that their families back home would be killed if they did not do as told. Was that information available to O'Dell? Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't.
That knowledge is available to us. I'd like to see more of us share that information. If it was more widely known, perhaps sales would drop off.
Like Uma said, it is shocking that in 2013 we need to have this discussion. I started having them on listservs in the mid 90s. Each time we go through difficult discussions like this (here or on child_lit), I engage the discussions from a context.
This time, it's been while watching Congressman debate whether or not American Indian, immigrant, and LBGTQ women deserve protection via the Violence Against Women Act. Children's books inform and shape the adults who are members of Congress. Those three groups are under-represented and mis-represented and missing from children's literature.
I'm glad VAWA passed. It signals a solidarity that I hope we see develop in children's literature, too.
Debbie
__________________________________________________________
Debbie Reese, PhD Tribally enrolled: Nambe Pueblo
Email: dreese.nambe_at_gmail.com
Website: American Indians in Children's Literature _at_ http://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.net
Now: Studying for MLIS at San Jose State University Then: Assistant Professor in American Indian Studies, University of Illinois
Received on Fri 01 Mar 2013 06:52:17 AM CST
Date: Fri, 01 Mar 2013 06:52:17 -0600
A few days ago, Travis Jonker (blogger at SLJ) posted an infographic of books that won the Newbery Medal. I was disheartened to see that the all time best selling Newbery Medal winner is ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS.
It does not reflect the millions of people who buy it, so obviously it tells us that people will buy books that do not reflect who they are. It tells us there is a market for "other."
But what if that "other" is incorrect, as is the case in ISLAND?
The very reason Karana is alone on that island is, O'Dell tells us, because Aleut's killed Karana's people. We are expected to believe this killing was due to the valiant efforts of her people to make the Russian captain and his Aleut crew pay for the goods they were making off with. As a book buying society, that theme (Indians killing Indians) is one we expect, it is one we accept. It conforms to our expectations. The heroic Indian also conforms to our expectations. It is what drives love of mascots.
That's a classic good-Indian/bad-Indian motif. In this video, you see that good-Indian/bad-Indian motif turned into a News story by two students who read ISLAND (they used modeling clay to create the people; one is the reporter, one is the person being interviewed, and in the background are Ghalas-at people lying on the ground with red clay on their bodies and sticks embedded in their bodies):
However!
The Aleut's who were on that Russian ship were not there by choice. They were enslaved, and were told that their families back home would be killed if they did not do as told. Was that information available to O'Dell? Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't.
That knowledge is available to us. I'd like to see more of us share that information. If it was more widely known, perhaps sales would drop off.
Like Uma said, it is shocking that in 2013 we need to have this discussion. I started having them on listservs in the mid 90s. Each time we go through difficult discussions like this (here or on child_lit), I engage the discussions from a context.
This time, it's been while watching Congressman debate whether or not American Indian, immigrant, and LBGTQ women deserve protection via the Violence Against Women Act. Children's books inform and shape the adults who are members of Congress. Those three groups are under-represented and mis-represented and missing from children's literature.
I'm glad VAWA passed. It signals a solidarity that I hope we see develop in children's literature, too.
Debbie
__________________________________________________________
Debbie Reese, PhD Tribally enrolled: Nambe Pueblo
Email: dreese.nambe_at_gmail.com
Website: American Indians in Children's Literature _at_ http://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.net
Now: Studying for MLIS at San Jose State University Then: Assistant Professor in American Indian Studies, University of Illinois
Received on Fri 01 Mar 2013 06:52:17 AM CST
