Native American Stereotypes

Yesterday morning I asked the children to draw a picture of a Native American. A few of them looked at me funny, but most of the children started to draw immediately. As I predicted, most children drew a human figure wearing animal skins, feathers, and face paint. Many of their figures were also carrying a weapon. I gave them five minutes to draw. As they finished, I asked them to share what they drew. I was so excited when several students raised their hands and told me how uncomfortable they felt with my assignment. "It's a stereotype," they complained. "Exactly," I said.

I showed the children a clip from Disney's Peter Pan, "What Makes the Red Man Red," a horribly stereotypical portrayal of Native Americans. I explained to the children that the images they have from Native Americans come from television, movies and sports logos. The vast majority of these images are stereotypical. I ended by showing the children images of actual Native Americans today. The children were surprised to see "regular" people wearing "regular" clothing just like them.

In Room 221 we try to look at the world and our learning from multiple points of view. We aim to be respectful of all people, from all backgrounds, nationalities and skin color. Recognizing stereotypes is just one way we can move towards our goal.