The Indian in the Cupboard

As I have been creating my pathfinder for my internship project, which is on Native American information (both fiction and non-fiction, Internet resources, and programs) in a Children's Library, I come across countless people criticizing the Indian in the Cupboard. I can understand this, however, it does not make it a less valuable source of fiction for children. I would never recommend it is a source for Native American study, however, I would not say it's an item that should be eradicated from library shelves as a few have suggested .

In this one article which, I must say, is a fantastic source for people attempting to create/maintain/weed a Native American collection in either a school or public library for K-12 students, the writers state the following about The Indian in the Cupboard and it's sequels:

"But for Indian people, these are some of the worst perpetrators of the most base stereotypes. The miniature toy Indian in the series (Indians portrayed as objects or things) is described as an Iroquois warrior, but is dressed as a western movie version of a generic plains Indian "chief," complete with eagle feather headdress. The warrior is described in the most stereotypical terms and speaks in subhuman grunts and partial sentences. He is manipulated by a more powerful white child, fostering the image of the simple and naive Indian whose contact with the white man can only benefit him and his people" (Caldwell, Kaye, and Mitten, 2007).

Here are my problems with this statement:

1) I agree that the stereotypes in these books are not positive at all, but couldn't this become a learning experience for children? It could be used to spark conversation about stereotypes and how to correct them.

2) The reason that the Indian in the cupboard is portrayed incorrectly (improper attire for being an Iroquois warrior, sub-level communication, Hollywood look) is because this is how the boy sees Native Americans. Wouldn't this be a great thing to use to spark conversation with kids? How would you think the Native American would be shown if this child knew what you know about Native Americans? What would you change? How do you think this might change the stories or the plots? TEACHING MOMENT!

3) Little Bear ("The Indian") speaks in grunts because he does not know the language, as the story goes on and he learns the language from both Omri (the "more powerful white child") and Boone (the "cowboy" action figure that Omri ends up turning as well) he begins to speak more normally.

I feel that the authors of this text have created a very viable source for librarians, educators, parents, etc. However, I feel with The Indian in the Cupboard they have gone too far. This is a story that isn't meant for Native American study, it is meant for fiction, for literary consumption. It could still be used in schools and libraries as a teaching moment. A time to get children to think about how they carry stereotypical tendencies within them that they don't even realize they have.

I would never think to teach children that these characters are viable stock characters for use in every day life. I agree that, in the past, Native Americans have been portrayed badly in literature, if at all. I agree that we need to be aware of the stereotypes and stock characters of the past. I also believe, however, in encouraging children to be aware of these issues, not just taking it away from there view. In order for children to know the difference they need to be taught, what better way to do it then through an outlet they will enjoy and, perhaps, remember?

Work Cited
Caldwell, N., Kaye, G., & Mitten, L.A. (2007). "'I" is for inclusion: The portrayal of Native Americans in books for young people." ALA/OLOS Subcommittee for Library Services to American Indian People American, American Indian Library Association presented at the American Indian Children's Literature: Identifying and Celebrating the Good, Washington, D.C., June 23, 2007.

Children of the Longhouse

While making my Pathfinder for my internship at the children's library I recently read "Children of the Longhouse" by Joseph Bruchac for the first time. For a "children's" novel it was pretty good.

It's the story of twins Otsi:stia and Ohkwa'ri (brother and sister respectively) who live in a Mohwak village in eastern New York. Though the underlying story is one of a bully going after Otsi:stia because he tells the village Otsi:stia tells the village of a conversation he overhears where the bully (Grabber) is planning on raiding a nearby village in order to gain some "prestige" in the Mohawk village and undoubtly creating an unnecessary war. Through this Bruchac interweaves traditional Mohawk tales, as the children deal with their decisions they are reminded of tales that their family has told them and they refer to them. It's really a pretty good read for grades 3-5 and highlights many interesting facts of local Mohawk culture.

I thoroughly enjoyed how you are shown how the people went about their daily lives and it isn't "this is what Ohkwa'ri did because she is a girl and her day is different than Otsi:Stia." Ohkaw'ra considers the plants as she is picking strawberries and thinks about their uses in medicine, or Ohkwa'ri decides to go out and bulid his own shelter away from his mother in order to get used to be away from his family (men left their "mother's hearths" and lived with their wives because Mohawk and other people of the Iroquois Nation trace their decendence through their mother's). Through this experience he is exposed to Grabber and his friends as they try and get back at him as well as going through the process of growing up by having to create his own shelter, find his own food, etc.

The book culminates in a huge game of lacrosse that was the only part of the book I did not enjoy. The lacrosse game is a bit too short and although it is necessary for the culmination of the book and the ending of the story with Grabber and his issues with Otsi:Stia, it's the only place I felt that the author fell short in his writing. The lead up was a bit better than the actual game. Other than that, though, I would say this would be an excellent book to use in a classroom in order to teach children not only a story about local Native Americans, but how they lived their lives and how the stories that they were told helped them make decisions and view their daily lives.

Blogging

So I'm taking a course this summer semester about Management Principles (IST 614 for my iSchool pals). And a vocabularly word in our textbook is "Blog" and then we have a whole "Management Decision" based around blogging and what it is. And I realize a couple things:

1) Not everyone knows what blogging is. Which is kind of weird to me. Though I've never been an avid blogger (as evidence by the fact that I post every 6 months or so), I do enjoy reading blogs and subscribe to many and read them almost daily. The fact that there is an entire Management exercise based around understanding what blogging is and how it could be used to the advantage of companies kind of ignited me to blog. I believe that would be ironic.

2) I started thinking about how to make this work in a library setting. Like, you can create a blog, you can update it regularly or irregularly, but how do you get people to use it? It's such an optional tool that could have sooo much potential, especially for those of us in library land. I mean, it is so fast and easy to sit down and jot off a quick blog, and if people have subscribed to your RSS feed, boom, they have the information available to them. But how to make it most effective? I mean, a newletter comes in the mail, we all check the mail every day (well at least most of us do), so we at least have it sitting on the counter. But what about people who don't even know what a blog is? How useful it can be? How would I explain and get my grandmother to use a blog? That's what I started thinking of. Still working on it.

That's really all I've got for now. Maybe I'll start blogging more. Never really felt I had "important" things to say. But maybe as my education and career advances I'll find this tool to be more useful to me. Maybe see you soon! Maybe not for another six months!

2010 and the End of the Semester

So I'm kind of behind (me, never! Nooo!). But I just kind of wanted to reflect on things and the end of the year.

It's been a hell of a year! End of the semester, 4.0, woot! I'm glad that everyone did well! I'm just ecstatic about getting through and not going crazy from lack of sleep and over load from working and Megan and school.

What did I learn? I learned that being a librarian is harder than I thought it would be. There are ethics, and problems, and questions that I never even considered. I also learned that I don't think I want to be the librarian that I "started out" to be. I was thinking, maybe work with kids, maybe in a public library. But, as we got into the semester, I started to really miss my history. I yearn to learn about history and to work with it.  It is my passion. Little kids are awesome, but I could live without going into a public library and dealing with young children, I could not live without history. So going for the CAS in Cultural Heritage Preservation definitely threw a hiccup into my plans, but I think it's going to make my scholarly life better and more fun. And it will, hopefully, lead me to a job that will make me much happier.

So, now it's time to get ready for another year. My resolutions for 2011 are:

1) Get more organized so maybe I can spend some more time with my daughter during the semester. That's the hardest part, really, is being "away" from her even though we're in the same house. I find myself not willing to go anywhere because I just want to cuddle with her on the floor and watch "Toy Story." Need to STOP THAT! It's killing my whole "networking" needs.

2) I'm taking 3 courses this semester, which is going to be even tougher, but I can't wait! So I really need to get on the ball NOW with things! I'm going to try really really hard not to procrastinate as much this year. Like, not finishing up my final edit of my Pathfinder the DAY that it's due.

3) Time to be an adult. Well, a more communicative and "go get 'em" adult. If there is something that I want to do (like the MUS 500 course in NYC next summer), then I need to bite the bullet and start making the phone calls. I've always been someone who has to "wake up" on the right side of the bed in order to be an adult and get things accomplished, that needs to stop! NOW! Like tomorrow! MUS 500 may have slipped away from me because I've allowed my laziness to get ahead of me, and that needs to end now!

4) I need to learn how to "connect with my community." I've blown off chances (usually cause Meg was sick, but still, I could've gone) to mingle with my fellow librarians or to go to talks on campus. Not because I don't want to hang out with those people or because I don't want to go to the talks, but because I just want to be lazy with my kid or boyfriend because I've "earned it." That needs to stop ASAP! I have not "earned it" until I have a job that is what I want to do with the rest of my life and will pay off all these college bills and Megan's. I need to build my network here so that way I can actually have a job when I get done with college. Most of the people I talk to who don't have jobs in there "field" are people who were like, I just need to go to school, that alone should get me a job. It sucks, but it doesn't anymore. You have to throw yourself out there. I need to do that this year like never before.

5) And my final resolution/plan, to get out of my current job and into a job with more flexible hours in order to have more time at home when no one is around. I can't tell you how much I get done when NO ONE is here. It's sick! I need to somehow keep my current healthcare (with my ADHD med coverage), but work lesser hours (still keeping up with my bills & Meg's Healthcare), and keep me home during the day (for the most part) when Mom is at work and Meg is at the babysitters. I will figure that out somehow!

Okay, I think that's it for now/ I also need to start blogging more in order to help myself stay focused and to think more about my library stuff. It's easier to reflect when I start rambling, because I re-read and think and write. It's the one thing I love about blogging, when I edit I learn more. AWESOMENESS!

Lot's of goals for the new year, hope I follow through with some of them!

I am soo behind in my Blog!

So it's been awhile, my bad! I haven't had much to talk about. We've been so sporadic in class and my life has officially become consumed by all these other projects going on.

So I decided to have a rant for one of my two blogs necessary for this week (or am I at 3? I have no idea how far behind I am at the moment, I will be catching up, I swear!).

I've been looking around at different magazines because I became intrigued recently. Nothing really in-depth, just, what is there outside of books? So I've decided I have an issue with one part of the magazine industry. PARENTING MAGAZINES!

When I found out I was going to have a baby I was 26 weeks along (pretty damn far along) and I panicked. And what do I do when I panic? I do research! Well my family knows this of me, and they thought they would help me. As presents these kind hearted souls bought me every single (exaggerated) subscription to a parenting magazine that they could find. I've whittled them down to one now, mostly because I don't have time to peruse them all, but also because they make me very angry.

While I was pregnant there was American Pregnancy, American Mom, Parenting For Infants and so much more! After Meg was born (a month early!) There was Preemie Weekly (didn't even have to sign up for that one), American Baby, American Parents, Parenting, American Parenting, and Parents. Parents is my magazine of choice, but even that angers me sometimes. I don't know if they do it intentionally or not, but they do not help a chaotic, scared, anxious new mother! They in fact, insight anxiety, fear, and loathing!

For example, I just received my newest Parents magazine for December. On the cover, adorable little child with an advertisement inside (YOUR Baby could be the Next Baby on the Cover of Parents!). So now adorable little child on cover becomes.....COMPETITION! (I'm exaggerating on that, but I've met a Mother in the hospital (I was there for a week, I met a lot of knew people) who really viewed them as that. New parents are scary.).

So then you have "50 Gifts from $5-$50 (Win 'em pg. 108)." Then, the usual "Boost Your Baby's Brain Power" (let me guess, Black and White pictures and Rorschach tests or whatever the newest thing is). But then, what really gets me. "Teach Kindness: How To Raise A Caring Kid" WHAT! REALLY? So without this article we would be a world of insensitive pricks? If people really can't figure out how to raise a kid who cares, what is this world coming to? (I know, so many answers to that one).

I am not the perfect parent, far from it. Right now, my kid is crying downstairs for me because I'm up here working on homework. She's begun sitting at the bottom of the stairs and crying up for me every time I come up here. She does this for to upwards to 10 minutes. I've had to stop going downstairs pretty much altogether unless I'm going to be down there for awhile to play with her. Does that sound like the perfect parent? Negative.

But really? Is this where the printed world is going? I own this stuff! I'm harping at myself I know! It's just, how stupid do publisher's think we are? I mean, there is some really cool stuff in these magazines. Don't get me wrong, they have awesome craft ideas and everything. But, I hate when (as a consumer) I am treated like an idiot. I would much rather have more articles on fun things to do with my kids or quick meals to make that are healthier than hot dogs and chicken nuggets (cause my kids at that phase and it's killing me! I want her to eat healthy so bad! But she just spits it back out at you!).

So why am I ranting on this? You all are probably so sick of me talking about Meg, (too bad!) and I realize this. So for those of you who hung around, here is actually where I'm going.

We've been talking a lot about the future of the library & our jobs basically. Well if we continue to tell people what they should think and what they should know instead of asking them what they want, I think we are screwed. I don't know for solid concrete fact, but I feel that way.

It's like the Parents magazine, they're so desperate for articles on kids (cause you can only talk about newborn poop in so many different ways) that they are telling us how to teach our kids moral and everyday things. And people lap it up (myself included!) because we think we don't know what we're doing and we're screwed! We need Parents to be our guru! But if they were to instead, ask me or possibly other Parents what they wanted, we would tell them. I don't want to be played like a fool, I know the basics, now give me some really good tips to help me get through a regular day. Like, how to pluck your eyebrows, brush your teeth, and unplug the heat vent cause my kid just stuffed it full of toilet paper all at once! While still getting to work on time!

I don't know if this analogy is working well or not, but what I'm trying to say is: Instead of thinking "Me Future Librarian. Me Know All. You Patron. Listen To Me." We should instead be a lot more flexible than I think we are sometimes. I'm pretty sure I fall into this category too!

I feel we all have this idea of what the library should be and what it should look like. Maybe we should see what the library is like that we start working in, and kind of adapt. I know that's not innovative, and I know Dave wants us to set the world on fire. But, I'm looking at the landscape in general. Someone in 605 (Cliff?) said something along the lines of "it seems people are just throwing stuff against the wall and seeing what sticks." He said that and I was like, THANK YOU! That's exactly how I'm feeling.

No one knows where anything is going. But we all think we know where IT SHOULD be going.What's wrong with stepping back from all these changes that have happened recently and kind of watching the landscape for a little while? Seeing where some things are settling and what is still rapidly changing?

I know a lot of our fellow students are all about the technology. Huzzah for you! Me, not so much. The most technological I get is my cell phone. And I just bought that exactly 33 days ago. And I still have no idea what I'm doing with it.

They believe that the technology is our salvation and that books are going to be gone and obsolete. I may be wrong and assuming that this is how they feel, but it's the general idea I've gotten listening to people in class. We need to be innovative! We need to use all this awesome new technology out there! Our patrons are demanding this! We need to change or were going to die out and not have the library anymore and not have jobs! We need to change, yeah, but we also need to make smart decisions and not let the technology rule us. Otherwise, we're really really really going to be screwed. I don't think books have died, I think they are just evening out and something new has come around. People are still publishing books, people still go to Barnes and Nobles and peruse, people still order books online, if this was not true and Kindles were really taking over the earth, then I wouldn't be receiving in the mail "The Foot Book" & "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" in 3 days (according to the email borders.com sent me).

If we really should abandon books and move onto more technologically advanced horizons then how? Seriously, and not sarcastically, really? What's your plan? What's your strategy? You can't just take away the books and have no game plan.

Well eBooks. Well how are you getting those eBooks? Maybe if there was a clear path before me I would understand this better, but right now, I will stick by my books. I don't understand all these new things out there (I don't know about half of them) and until someone can show me exactly how making my library paperless is the right thing to do, I can't really support that. I can support evolving slowly towards that outcome if that is what is needed, but I'm not going to abandon ship because some reports say that print circulation is going to SLOWLY decline. SLOWLY being the keyword. If something is going to SLOWLY decline, it means we have time to figure out our game plan. Personally, that's what I would much rather do right now then to panic! When I panic I do research, right now, researching is telling me to cool my heels and watch for just a little while.

To maybe wrap this up, because I am rambling. I feel there is a chance that we may lose patrons because we are in a techno-centric world up at the iSchool and we are feeling that the tech is all that there is. I'm not saying it's not a cool and awesome techno-centric world that I am proud to be a part of. I'm just saying, we are privileged to have the access and the ability to play with technology that many others do not have. There is nothing wrong with asking those that we are (technically) working for what they want instead of attempting to push what we think is right at them.

It's like the Parents magazine. I will go and I will read that article about Teaching Kindness, and I will go "duh!" or "these people are crazy" and probably not even finish the article and move onto the 4 or 5 mainstay articles that I know about, and that I usually glean good information from. If we try to tell people what they should care about, they're either going to know already and go "duh!" or say "you're crazy, I don't care about that." And then we better have something to offer them. And it may just be books.

This is all my perspective, I'm not trying to say someone is wrong or right. I think we all have our specialties, but we shouldn't discount the specialties of another classmate. If this person strives to work in this type of situation, then we shouldn't shoot them down. Or if this person wants to be a "classic" librarian, we shouldn't shoot them down either. What's cool about this field is that we all fit into it somehow.

Wow, that was a long rant. I probably should have broken that up into like 2 rants and made up for lost time or something :-D.

Sintel Post (See Last Post)

So I was having issues adding commentary with the Sintel link embedded, so I'm posting twice. This is a Creative Commons movie, Sintel. IT'S AWESOME!! Had to share it with everyone!!! It's so cool!

http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/24388

Here is the link if you would like to know more about the movie and Creative Commons in general. ENJOY! GO SCALES!

Sintel with subtitles [HD] OFFICIAL | FULL MOVIE (2010) 3D Blender open ...