Native Americans and the teacher

[stillnominivan]

My 1st grader came home today saying "I learned how to write Indian!"
Teacher had made up a code where a=whatever and b=something else and they had to figure out a secret message. The top of the key was labeled "Indian code".
I've been growing increasingly concerned as Thanksgiving approaches about the use of Native Americans as props and stereotypes. The "code" today was the final straw and I'm totally freaked out. Her teacher has been out of college only 5 years or so! Do they not discuss cultural sensitivity in education classes?
Anyway, I'm not sure how to approach the teacher about my concerns. Ugh. Where do I even start with someone who would think this is ok?

[lynsage]

I would definitely call the teacher to discuss it- racism and stereotyping about Native Americans are still rampant in the public schools, especially around this time of year, and it's not going to change until they get a lot more complaints from parents about it.

I was engaged to a guy who was half Oneida Iroquois and one day shortly before Thanksgiving his niece (his half-brother's kid) came home from school very upset because her teacher had basically accused her of lying when she said her uncle was an Indian while she was trying to tell the other kids that not all Indians lived in teepees like they were being taught! This teacher actually said to her and the rest of the class: "There are no Indians here anymore, they all went to the reservations."

Needless to say there was a VERY angry phone call placed to the school and some swift educating of the teaching staff was done.

I would start by asking the teacher where this "Indian code" originated and go from there. If she says she made it up herself I would ask why she felt it was appropriate to call it an Indian code. Maybe have some talking points ready about the need for cultural sensitivity at school.

[DaryLLL]

Originally Posted by lynsage

I was engaged to a guy who was half Oneida Iroquois and one day shortly before Thanksgiving his niece (his half-brother's kid) came home from school very upset because her teacher had basically accused her of lying when she said her uncle was an Indian while she was trying to tell the other kids that not all Indians lived in teepees like they were being taught! This teacher actually said to her and the rest of the class: "There are no Indians here anymore, they all went to the reservations."

OMFG! What state was that in?

I just hate the whole Pilgrims and happy Indians Thanksgiving thing in the schools right now.

I unschool my kids but my 1st dd and I visted a kindergarten when she was 4 at this time of year. It was just like what I remembered from the early 60s. Bleh!!!

[lynsage]

DaryLLL, this was in Michigan about five years ago.

Not too different from when I was in school in the 80s in Ohio and we dressed up as Pilgrims and Indians for Thanksgiving and got to pick "Indian names" like Running Deer

Didn't exactly prepare me for meeting Native Americans named Frank, Chris, Brian, and Marissa later in life

[rainbowmoon]

sounds alot like what navajo code talkers used during WW2.

maybe she thought it would be cute for some reason to relate it to Indians and make it an activity trying to relate it to Thanksgiving somehow? I don't understand why someone would do that but that's what it sounds like to me.

you would think they could have exlained it a little bit better than just learning to write "Indian". I agree that would warrant a call to the teacher though.