Native American Literature: Analyzing through a Professional Resource

Stewart, Michelle P. "Judging Authors by the Color of Their Skin? Quality Native American Children's Literature." Multi-Ethnic Children's Literature 27 (2002): 179-196. JSTOR. 2 Dec. 2007.

After spending a large portion of time looking for Native American books for this assignment, I noticed a reoccurring theme. It was extremely difficult to find non-traditional or non-folklore representations of Native Americans at the East Lansing Public Library, especially in terms of children’s literature. Most of the books focused on Native American tales, heroes, or biographical information. When reading a critical review on Native American literature, I found a quote that expressed this idea: “Some authors continue to depict American Indian culture as foreign, as something “other” that must be brought into the fold of American culture rather than celebrated for its distinction,” (Stewart 181). The author of the article also discussed the insider/outsider debate in terms of Native American literature. Since hundreds of tribes exist, where does one draw the line of an outsider? For example, is it appropriate for a member of an Iroquois tribe to write about someone from the Chippewa tribe? Another interesting discussion that arises from this article is the fact that the Native American population is not growing; thus, who is going to represent the voices of Native Americans as the tribes grow smaller?