Does the book contain obvious clichés and stereotypes? Some indicators of prejudice are: the Indian Problem, standing in the way of progress, blood thirsty, mystical, childlike, noble, superstition, primitive, backward, violent, drunken, hostile, unfriendly, warlike, squaw, brave and savage.
Are generalizations about all American Indians made on the culture of one tribe or tribal group? The U.S. Government recognizes over 500 tribes. Culture and beliefs vary from tribe to tribe. Check for tipis on the desert and war bonnets in the Eastern Woodlands.
Are tribes and culture groups presented in an oversimplified way? Are the members all craftspeople, warriors or medicine people? Tribal societies were, and still are, complex.
Are American Indians in fiction and biography portrayed as real human beings with strengths and weaknesses, dreams and disappointments and joys and sorrows or are they one-dimensional characters? One-dimensional characters are usually stereotypes or token characters, dropped into a book so it can be labeled multicultural.
Does the book portray American Indians as decision makers or are they viewed as pitiful, passive and “defeated” victims? Beware of books that describe Indian people as a vanishing race or imply it. American Indians have not vanished. To be spoken of as invisible is demeaning.
Are American Indian heroes and heroines who helped their own people mentioned, or are they included based on how much they helped non-Indian settlers? Look for history books that are balanced in their perspective. Those that only count "helpful" Indians as worthy of respect or mention are ethnocentric.
Are non-Indian values held up as being better than American Indian values? Are American Indians disparaged for being less materialistic than their white counterparts?
Is the history accurate and does it include the American Indian perspective? Are American Indians blamed for the introduction of scalping and syphilis? Are these topics raised inappropriately?
Who wrote the book? Most books about American Indians, both fiction and non-fiction continue to be written by non-Indians. If a non-Indian author wrote the book, ask what experiences qualify the author to write about Indian history and culture. If you detect a biased, ethnocentric perspective, look for an alternate book.
Does the book mention American Indian contributions to science, technology, medicine, agriculture and the arts, or does it omit them?
