Comments on: What the Indians ate – or eat? http://wabquest.edublogs.org/2009/05/06/what-the-indians-ate-or-eat-or-shame-on-you/ a space for the exploration of LD291 and its implementation Mon, 10 Aug 2009 02:28:47 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 By: Jana Boody http://wabquest.edublogs.org/2009/05/06/what-the-indians-ate-or-eat-or-shame-on-you/comment-page-1/#comment-36 Jana Boody Wed, 03 Jun 2009 14:07:06 +0000 http://wabquest.edublogs.org/?p=101#comment-36 Betsy, you are most definitely not alone in believing that non-native educators can and should teach Wabanaki Studies (LD291, as you reference this). In fact the entire Maine Legislature and a variety of native organizations (including many tribal leaders!) support Maine educators in their instruction of Wabanaki studies. The 2007 Learning Results: Parameters for Essential Instruction include Wabanaki Studies (Maine Native Studies) with the expectation that teachers deliver explicit instruction in this topic! Betsy, you are most definitely not alone in believing that non-native educators can and should teach Wabanaki Studies (LD291, as you reference this). In fact the entire Maine Legislature and a variety of native organizations (including many tribal leaders!) support Maine educators in their instruction of Wabanaki studies. The 2007 Learning Results: Parameters for Essential Instruction include Wabanaki Studies (Maine Native Studies) with the expectation that teachers deliver explicit instruction in this topic!

]]> By: Elizabeth Sky-McIlvain http://wabquest.edublogs.org/2009/05/06/what-the-indians-ate-or-eat-or-shame-on-you/comment-page-1/#comment-34 Elizabeth Sky-McIlvain Thu, 07 May 2009 22:41:20 +0000 http://wabquest.edublogs.org/?p=101#comment-34 Actually, when you teach children, you must cherry-pick. Any text that speaks of Native Americans in the past should be questioned. I was perhaps strong in my last sentence - but I have learned in my work with and listening to the Elders and tribal leaders of the Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Maliseet and Micmac that language is culture - and our language reflects our culture and its bias, as do theirs. The author of this book is clearly credible - and his overall message may be effective (I have ordered but not received the book) - but is not by romanticising the role and life of Maine's natives that understanding will be gained. Actually, the best part of the article was the brief mention of hardships, trading, and even conflicts. I am not arguing with the concept of migrations (although since I wrote those lessons I have new understandings), but with the suggestion that in the native calendar, there months. What other understanding would an elementary or middle student - or a Maine teacher just beginning the learning journey - gain from the diagram? As you know, there are no "months" - Joseph Bruchac and many others, such as many native authors of The Wabanakis of Maine & the Maritimes, have made more appropriate calendars available. I do wonder why one of these was not used by Hardy. And you should know that I have stood somewhat alone in my position that non-Native educators can and should teach to LD291 - but with an awareness of the negative materials always in the front on their minds. Actually, when you teach children, you must cherry-pick. Any text that speaks of Native Americans in the past should be questioned. I was perhaps strong in my last sentence – but I have learned in my work with and listening to the Elders and tribal leaders of the Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Maliseet and Micmac that language is culture – and our language reflects our culture and its bias, as do theirs. The author of this book is clearly credible – and his overall message may be effective (I have ordered but not received the book) – but is not by romanticising the role and life of Maine’s natives that understanding will be gained. Actually, the best part of the article was the brief mention of hardships, trading, and even conflicts.
I am not arguing with the concept of migrations (although since I wrote those lessons I have new understandings), but with the suggestion that in the native calendar, there months. What other understanding would an elementary or middle student – or a Maine teacher just beginning the learning journey – gain from the diagram? As you know, there are no “months” – Joseph Bruchac and many others, such as many native authors of The Wabanakis of Maine & the Maritimes, have made more appropriate calendars available. I do wonder why one of these was not used by Hardy.
And you should know that I have stood somewhat alone in my position that non-Native educators can and should teach to LD291 – but with an awareness of the negative materials always in the front on their minds.

]]> By: JD Clark http://wabquest.edublogs.org/2009/05/06/what-the-indians-ate-or-eat-or-shame-on-you/comment-page-1/#comment-33 JD Clark Thu, 07 May 2009 18:07:43 +0000 http://wabquest.edublogs.org/?p=101#comment-33 "Ate is a huge problem. The use of the past tense inevitably suggests that the population studied is gone..." It does no such thing. It "inevitably" indicates that this is what Indian population used to eat. To say that "What my parents ate last night" does not "inevitably suggest" that my parents are now gone. " 'primal' [sic] is a word used in the first sentence, again suggesting that the Indians being studied are somehow less than civilized (savage)." Where do you find that inference? The sentence in which it is used says: "The most primal connection between a people and their habitat revolves around food." The same sentence could be written about teenagers and their relationship to fast food. Use of the word has no bearing on nor is it descriptive of social development of the Native peoples referenced in the article. Use of a Native calendar: Your own Website says: "Seasonal Migration is a core concept in understanding the Wabanakis." Those migrations are duly listed at the top of the calendar in the article, with months noted under it for non-Native understanding -- months that do not run Jan-Dec but rather March-Feb to better accommodate the Native seasonal rhythms. Sensitivity to stereotypical and condescending thinking is admirable and powerful. Over-sensitivity damages credibility and effectiveness. Ignoring facts and cherry-picking words to make false arguments destroys credibility and effectiveness. “Ate is a huge problem. The use of the past tense inevitably suggests that the population studied is gone…” It does no such thing. It “inevitably” indicates that this is what Indian population used to eat. To say that “What my parents ate last night” does not “inevitably suggest” that my parents are now gone.

” ‘primal’ [sic] is a word used in the first sentence, again suggesting that the Indians being studied are somehow less than civilized (savage).” Where do you find that inference? The sentence in which it is used says: “The most primal connection between a people and their habitat revolves around food.” The same sentence could be written about teenagers and their relationship to fast food. Use of the word has no bearing on nor is it descriptive of social development of the Native peoples referenced in the article.

Use of a Native calendar: Your own Website says: “Seasonal Migration is a core concept in understanding the Wabanakis.” Those migrations are duly listed at the top of the calendar in the article, with months noted under it for non-Native understanding — months that do not run Jan-Dec but rather March-Feb to better accommodate the Native seasonal rhythms.

Sensitivity to stereotypical and condescending thinking is admirable and powerful. Over-sensitivity damages credibility and effectiveness. Ignoring facts and cherry-picking words to make false arguments destroys credibility and effectiveness.

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