Renee Mendieta ED 447 September 26, 2013 Native American Reflection To me, a fundamental component to maintaining an anti-bias approach

in the classroom is to discuss each topic with neutrality. In order to attain a well-rounded opinion on the matter, we have to look at the issue from both perspectives. For teachers, it is just as important for them to keep this neutrality as it is for them to teach their students how to do it. Developing a sort of tunnel vision when it comes to harsh realities is a learned behavior with children, and is something that can be reversed, if not prevented. Sure, its uncomfortable to think that the world has darkness; but its necessary to recognize this darkness so that when we honor the light, we honor it holistically, recognizing both the bad and the good. The most classic example of teaching children the truth, recognizing a dark past, and noticing the good that came of it, relates to the founding of our country. No matter the age, many children have already had some exposure to this subject and have likely already begun developing a bias toward the situation. Most often, this bias will be in favor of the white man, with disregard to others affected. As teachers, it is our responsibility to help unravel this mindset and encourage our students to adopt a dual-perspective to the occurrences. In Once Upon a Genocide: Christopher Columbus in Childrens Literature Bill Bigelow explores the ways in which childrens literature perpetuates the biased perspective our nation has toward the exploration of the Americas. He outlines the truth that occurred during Columbus exploration, but in a way that also recognizes the values that can be learned from the already existing literature. In his review, Bigelow addresses the fact that Columbus and the other explorers are often recognized for having emotions and are characterized as being human. All the while, the Native Americans are not given these same characteristics. In itself, this perpetuates a bias in children; encouraging them to place greater precedence on the white explorers, while subconsciously thinking less of Native

Americans. As teachers, it is our duty to show both sides of the story; to undo this bias and to illustrate that Native Americans are human, that they had emotions and were deeply affected by their mistreatment. The YouTube videos are resources for honoring that truth. In the second video, Andrew Windboy becomes emotional while reminiscing on his experiences at the Indian Boarding Schools in North and South Dakota. In the first video, Albert White Hat tells us that the occurrences in the late 19th and early 20th Century are still impacting Natives today. He says, What has happened in the past, will never leave us. As teachers, we have to recognize that our students, and the families of our students continue to be affected by American history. This kind of impact is not something that can easily be forgotten, and Im sure it has left many Native Americans holding a grudge toward the white man. For many Native Americans living off the reservation, public schooling is required and they may still be skeptic of attending. Teachers should acknowledge that the repercussions of the assimilation discussed in the 3rd video are still surfacing. We have to treat this delicately and understand why some of our students may sit quietly in the back of the room. We simply cannot expect our Native American students to have completely lost their ways, forgotten their peoples history and be entirely Americanized. As I consider the ways in which I will approach this topic in my own classroom, I wonder which videos I might be cautious of showing students of certain age. I think many teachers believe exposing this kind of truth is too harsh or too gruesome for their young students to handle. By not acknowledging both perspectives, however, we are perpetuating the bias approach that has long existed in our school curriculum. Rather than taking the easy way out, so to speak, teachers should utilize the biased literature in their classrooms to teach their students how to read critically, examining the potential biases and allowing them the opportunity to take their own stance.