Welcome
Welcome Native American Children Literature students!

This Blog is a way to record your reflections and to communicate with each other. This course is an opprotunity to read American Indian children's literature and be able to critically read between the lines. From now on whatever you read, you will question, who is doing the talking, do they know what they are talking about and are they sensitive and accurate? You will be looking for proof of authenticity and cultural sensitivity. This kind of awareness will extend beyond this course and hopefully will become a way of 'seeing' and believing information you read and that which you share with others, namely your students. Just because a story has been published does not mean it is accurate or sensitively portrayed.

During our course we will talk about stereotypes, biases and establishing criteria for evaluating the books we read. You will begin to identify these aspects in the books you read.

Remember to value oral language and oral stories equally even though Western society places a stronger emphasis on written language and literacy. Written language is relatively a recent invention compared to the history of oral language. Oral language is dependent upon written language and written language upon oral language, for they are complementary.

Storyteller, Judy Hooks once said: "When you read a story, your audience connects to the pictures in the story. When you tell a story, your audience connects to you."

I look forward to our class together learning from you and sharing the gift of stories.

A great day today! I will read a book in your honor!

Frances