Yesterday's post may have been a disheartening one for those with an interest in Native American Studies or in Wabanaki communities of Maine. I refer to the probe into the craigslist sale of scalps, purportedly of 'Maine Indian' origin. I ended the blog entry talking about how our educational system needs to 'humanize' Wabanaki peoples in order to get beyond the popular stereotypes and beyond the legacies of the violent colonial history. Today I wanted to offer a couple of starting points for those who wish to identify resources that may assist them in doing this.
The Maine Department of Education's website on Wabanaki Studies in Maine Schools includes a chart of K-12 learning targets that have been integrated with Wabanaki Studies content that supports LD 291: An Act to Require Teaching of Maine Native American History and Culture in Maine's Schools. It also includes links to a lot of other key Wabanaki resources (make sure you don't miss the especially the rich websites of Betsy Sky-McIlvain and Joseph Charnley, among others):
Also, Debbie Reese's fabulous blog on American Indians in Children's Literature is one you shouldn't miss. It helps educators tackle a number of the national myths and stereotypes pertaining to Native Americans that are embedded in some of our most beloved texts, such as Little House on the Prairie or Sign of the Beaver.
Using just these two starting points, a whole world of resources will open up to you.
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