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Bias by Omission lists the criteria developed by a Canadian Indian organization to evaluate textbook bias in 1976. This is probably the best set of guidelines online for evaluating all materials – from children’s books to college level texts. Ten varieties of racist writing are detailed.
Erasing Native American Stereotypes by the Anthropology Outreach Office of the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of the American Indian offers eleven important points for teachers, librarians and museum curators about how to evaluate materials for all age levels.
Guidelines for Choosing Multicultural Books from RIF (Reading is Fundamental) focuses on how to select unbiased children’s books.
Questions to Ask when Selecting American Indian Books by Kay Marie Porterfield, co-author of the Encyclopedia of American Indian Contributions to the World: 15,000 years of Inventions and Innovations lists ten criteria for determining bias in non-fiction books for all age levels.
Techniques for Evaluating American Indian Websites by Elaine Cubbins provides good, solid suggestions in a checklist format for determining whether or not a website is authentic.
Ten Quick Ways to Analyze Books for Racism and Sexism by the Council for Interracial Books for Children
Applying Multiculturalism to the American Indian History Curriculum, part of a thesis by Alison Wangsness Clement, provides a comprehensive and very useful set of suggestions for teachers and librarians as well as a discussion of tools for teachers.
Build a Multicultural Library by Abenaki author Joseph Bruchac from the National Education Association
Fakelore, Multiculturalism and the Ethics of Children’s Literature, a paper by Eliot A. Singer, discusses how folk stories are taken out of the cultural context and altered by white authors so that they have little or no relationship to the original stories.
Multicultural Children’s Literature, an article from ERIC, contains guidelines for choosing books as well as sources for multicultural book reviews
Native Americans: Suggested Readings on Stereotypes vs. Reality from the Cabrillo Community College Anthropology Department provides a solid bibliography of books on the history and dynamics of American Indian stereotyping as well as a two-page list of excellent books on American Indians for high school students and adults.
Paula Giese’s Philosophy, Purpose and Guidelines on the site the Anishinabe educator created before she died in 1997, is an excellent introduction to why unbiased educational materials are critical for American Indian and all students. Follow her links or click on the books menu button to find her thumbs-up and thumbs-down reviews of specific books.
Resources for Choosing Multicultural Books, an annotated bibliography of books and journal articles on multicultural book selection from RIF focuses on choosing books for elementary school children.
Unbiased Teaching about American Indians and Alaska Natives in Elementary Schools by Floy C. Pepper includes a discussion on the role of accurate information, as well as common myths and information to dispel them.
Useful Sites for Tribal Librarians compiled by Elaine Cubbins contains a number of relared links
Dancing Badger sells books. The site has well written and reviews of books written by Indians and those written by non-Indians that are unbiased.
H-Amind Book Reviews focuses on adult books appropriate for Indian Studies. The reviews that are posted here are sorted by author.
Multicultural Book Reviews is a site that has posted nineteen reviews of American Indian books. Although the site hasn’t been updated since 1996, the review that are posted are useful.
Multicultural Review, a must-have resource for teachers at all levels and for librarians, reviews of books for kindergarten readers to adults. This quarterly publication contains several feature articles in each issue.
Oyate is a grassroots American Indian organization that reviews books about American Indians written for children and adults. They post reviews of the books on their site and also sell books. A page lists books to avoid.
Independent American Indian Review contains information about contemporary American Indian nations (each issue centers on one nation) and reviews of books, CDs, tapes, and other media from American Indian perspectives. Back issues are available
American Indian Resources from the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of the American Indian Anthropology Outreach Office is a 41-page bibliography listing journal articles and books on selecting unbiased materials for educators as well as an extensive selection of materials about American Indians for library and classroom use. The reading level of these materials ranges from kindergarten to ninth grade.
Children’s Books with American Indian Themes contains several bibliographies compiled by Cynthia Leitich Smith. These include Native themes, contemporary fiction, historical fiction, and American Indian Illustrators and Authors.
A Critical Bibliography on North American Indians for K – 12 by the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of the American Indian evaluates over 800 books. It is organized by culture groups. The introduction provides suggestions for selecting books and information about stereotyping.
Internet School Library Media Center site written and maintained by Inez Ramsey, professor emeritus at James Madison University, contains bibliographies of children’s and young adult books as well as links to many good Internet sources of information about American Indians.
Ten Recommended Books for American Indian Studies selected by noted Anishinabe Webmistress and educator Paula Giese before she died.
University of Arizona Indian Studies’ Required Reading List is a large compilation of excellent books appropriate for high school students and adults.
Voices and Visions is a good working annotated bibliography compiled by Wendy Gordon Lewis, a professor of Learning Resources at Saddleback College.
Bibliography of Books by American Indian Authors from Central Michigan University. Although this is by no means complete, it is a starting point.
Children’s and Young Adult Books by Native American Authors and Illustrators compiled by Cynthia Leitich Smith lists books, short stories, novels, series, biographies and plays along with some books for adults.
Native American Authors Project from Internet Public Libraries contains bibliographic and biographical information about contemporary American Indian Authors as well as links to articles about them and interviews posted online. It is indexed by authors, titles and tribes.
Native Writers Circle of the Americas site lists Word Craft Circle award winning authors from 1992 forward.
Storytellers: American Indian Authors Online is a collection of biographies and bibliographies of contemporary American Indian Authors, their photos, and sites where their work is posted online. Authors are indexed alphabetically and by tribe.
Small Presses Owned and Operated by American Indians and non-Indian publishers that publish unbiased American Indian books are posted by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Voices from the Gaps: Women Writers of Color provides biographies and information about the writings of First Nations Women of Canada, American Indian Women of the U.S., Caribbean American Women and Chicana Women are listed here.
American Indian Education Association, formed in 1969, is the professional association for American Indian Teachers.
American Indian Higher Education Consortium is an association for tribal colleges. Their site contains links to member colleges.
American Indian Library Association is an affiliate of the American Library Association. Their website is maintained by Lisa Mitten.
Guide to Indian Studies Programs in the United States and Canada compiled by Robert Nelson, lists schools and colleges that grant degrees or certificates in Indian Studies by state. Information here is current as of the 2001-2002 school year.
Native American Nations Home Pages lists links to websites for both federally recognized and unrecognized tribes. It is updated frequently.
Tribal College, Native Studies Programs, and Indian Education Links compiled by librarian Lisa Mitten contains dozens of connections to tribal colleges, Indian studies departments, Indian Schools as well as Indian student organizations. Including a link to her list of all US and Canadian tribes and Indian organizations. She constantly updates these lists
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