You are NOT overreacting! I am so happy that you have brought this topic to
our attention this summer. We not only need to educate the Boy Scouts of
America--we also need to educate our elementary teachers about avoiding the
embarrassing "ceremonies" and pageants before Thanksgiving. Having children
dress up in brown paper-bag vests, with headbands and construction paper
feathers is perpetuating the stereotypes when teachers should be helping
children to gain respect for other cultures. We have a big job to do to try
to help teachers to find more respectful ways of teaching children about the
national holiday Thanksgiving.
Shirley Lukenbill, Librarian
Wooldridge Elementary, Austin (TX) ISD
and Lecturer, School of Information
University of Texas at Austin
sluken@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu
-----Original Message-----
From: School Library Media & Network Communications
[mailto:LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] On Behalf Of Sharron L. McElmeel
Sent: Thursday, July 13, 2006 10:59 AM
To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: [LM_NET] Native American topics in Books & BSofA
I am often asked for references for Native American studies of some sort or
another and gladly refer those requesting to them -- but last night I
attended a Boy Scout camp fire ceremony for the Order of the Arrow. In MHO
it was a poorly designed mockery of the Native American heritage. Young
boys, old men, women, were dressed in their interpretation of Native
American regalia -- I can not describe how silly they looked -- some had a
do rag on making a pirate like image, the "chief" appeared in a commercial
artificial feather full headdress.
Without belaboring the fact they looked like a hodge-podge (I think there
was one authentic NA in a buckskin dress (and tennis shoes). The ceremony
called young men out of the campfire circle to be honored. The pseudo
Native American ceremony reminded me of:
The pilgrims masquerading as Indians to dump the tea in the Boston Harbor.
The Black Face plays I was part of in the 50's (as a very young child) -- we
would NOT allow that now.
Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve's comments about editors, readers, educators
focusing on the past history of NA and forgetting that NA Indians are here
and NOW (My NA grandson -- the his sisters and older brother were all in the
audience.) My discussions with children trying to explain that they might
dress-up and some day actually become a cowboy but no amount of dressing-up
and growing up could help them accomplish becoming "an Indian." Occupations
are obtainable goals, changing your ethnicity is NOT an occupation.
Now my question: How does this ceremony continue in this day and age? Do
the Boy Scout Guides
describe this ceremony? Are the books in our
libraries perpetuating this general consensus that this is acceptable
practice?
BTW the phone number for Clyde Mayer (sp)-- the man in charge of the Order
of the Arrow ceremony (at the national headquarters) is 972-580-2440.
Boy Scouts of America, National Council . P.O.
Box 152079 . Irving, Texas 75015-2079 -- I am thinking he should be
encouraged to make sure all of these ceremonies be sent along to the
National Scouting Museum and a new tradition began in scouting.
Sharron McElmeel (who is contemplating if she is overreacting or if this is
truly the far-reaching problem she perceives it is)
--
===================================================
Sharron L. McElmeel
http://www.mcelmeel.com
McBookwords (a literacy organization)
http://www.mcbookwords.com/
Instructor - University of Wisconsin-Stout Children's Literature in the
Reading Program http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/childrenslit/
Young Adult Literature in the Reading Program
http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/yalit/
3000 N Center Point Rd
Cedar Rapids, IA 52411-9548
ph. (319) 393-2562
fax (319) 393-4749 (If line is busy, initiate a voice call and ask that the
line be made available for a fax transmission.) mcelmeel@mcelmeel.com
===================================================
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