This piece of research might help, http://www.dickshovel.com/ind.html it can also be found in JSTOR THE ONLY GOOD INDIAN IS A DEAD INDIAN History and Meaning of a Proverbial Stereotype© by Wolfgang Mieder It ends with a passage that I think some people need to really think about: The fact that this tiny piece of folk wisdom is still current today is a very sad comment on this society and its behavior towards Native Americans. As long as there remain prejudices and stereotypes about this minority population, the proverb will not cease to exist. Wherever it will be uttered or written, it will expose blatant inhumanity towards the Native Americans. A conscious attempt to refrain from using the proverb "The only good Indian is a dead Indian" might at least help to bring about some changes towards a better life for Native Americans, one of pride and dignity as is befitting for the indigenous people of this great country - better the proverb die a long overdue death than any Native American get hurt by it again. On Tue, Sep 14, 2021 at 1:51 PM Syntha Green <syntha.green@baldwinlib.org> wrote:
Lori, I don't think you get to say what a minority feels is harmful (or not). Do you actually think a Native American child is going to feel great about themselves when they read this passage: Mrs. Scott said she hoped to goodness they would have no trouble with Indians. Mr. Scott had heard rumors of trouble. She said, "Land knows, they'd never do anything with this country themselves. All they do is roam around over it like wild animals. Treaties or no treaties, the land belongs to folks that'll farm it. That's only common sense and justice." She did not know why the government made treaties with Indians. The only good Indian was a dead Indian. The very thought of Indians made her blood run cold. Syntha
On Tue, Sep 14, 2021 at 12:37 PM Lori Rinaldi via Michlib-l < michlib-l@mcls.org> wrote:
Actually, Wilder wrote about Native Americans in a good light, in her own opinions, but mentioned how other people were afraid of them , ect. She did mention being terrified during their war chants. Saying that her writing his armful to any group is wrong. Read the books. Don't just believe some hype. Not wanting to start a fight here. but I have studied LIW very closely, esp in my grad years. But I do respect you opinion. I just disagree with it.
Lori Rinaldi
On 09/14/2021 10:24 AM Anne Heidemann via Michlib-l <michlib-l@mcls.org> wrote:
Boozhoo (hello), Michigan library community,
I wanted to share some information about Wilder and her Little House books that not everyone may be thinking about. In my role serving as the Tribal Librarian for the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, I have had the opportunity to study and think about this issue in depth and humbly share this with you.
The content of Wilder’s works is actively harmful, not just to Native readers whose ancestors are supposedly portrayed in them, but to everyone who reads them and takes in those damaging depictions. They portray a vision of history as seen from a settler colonialist perspective that did not allow any room for the humanity of people who were not white settlers (in addition to the inaccurate depictions of Indigenous peoples, there is also anti-Black content).
Many of us working in libraries may have fond memories of reading or having these books read to us when we were kids, but it is possible to separate those memories from the harmful content that accompanied them – to make a different choice when recommending books to today’s young readers.
My suggestion here is that we choose to celebrate writers and books that include everyone’s humanity, and chose not to celebrate those which do not.
There is quite a lot of writing out there about the damage that Wilder’s books do. Please contact me off-list if you’d like me to provide suggestions.
Miigwetch,
Anne
Anne Heidemann, Tribal Librarian (she/her)
Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Gindaaso-gamik - Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Libraries
aheidemann@sagchip.org - aheidemann@sagchip.edu
989-787-0651 * 989-775-4519 * 989-317-4789
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