Native American Children's Literature

Native American children’s literature is grossly underrepresented in libraries across the world. With many stereotypical renditions of stories in print, it was difficult to find stories that were historically accurate and effective in relation to children’s lit. Reading Jan LaBonty’s article criticizing literature and The Indian in the Cupboard, it led to me to think about how I viewed that story as a child. When I was younger, I never would have looked twice at the inaccurate outfit or dialect of Little Bear. I simply viewed it as an adventurous movie I liked to watch with my brother and sister. When I was searching for quality children’s stories about Native Americans, it took a great deal of searching to find stories that weren’t represented with the stereotypical war paint and teepees. I however succeeded in finding two wonderful picture books that tell very different and unique stories about Native Americans. One, an adventurous tale of a girl and a herd of wild horses, with beautiful illustrations is The Girl Who Loved Horses, and two, a heroic, culturally accurate story of a brave Native American girl and her friendship with an African American boy in Crossing Bok Chitto. I also found a controversial young adult book, Sign of the Beaver. There are multiple critiques against this book, stating it is historically inaccurate and stereotypical. I however stand by this book as being a great read for young adults. While I do agree with many of the historical inaccuracies, I do believe this presents a great opportunity for parents and teachers to discuss the topic of stereotypes. It’s a fun story for children to read, and it continues to be read throughout schools in Michigan.