Tag Archives: educational resources

Module 2 – Post 4 – Aboriginal Portrayal in Media

The docudrama Nanook of the North shows clearly the stereotype of the simple, noble savage that has been popularized in western culture. That film was shot in 1922, but have societies changed their view much since then? Of course we would like to think so, but is that true? In a study of the portrayal of Aboriginal peoples in film and television, the media literacy charity Media Smarts conducted a study of this subject to see how much depictions have changed over the years. The most common problems uncovered can be best classified as mis-representation. They usually are: Romanticization, Historical Inaccuracies, Stereotyping by Omission, and Simplistic Characterizations. These flaws in the depictions of Indigenous peoples have the affect of skewing the portrayal of these groups in an manner which does not dispel myths and stereotypes but may actually increase them by providing confusing and improperly researched information to audiences. This article is very good at identifying the most significant issues on this subject.

http://mediasmarts.ca/diversity-media/aboriginal-people/common-portrayals-aboriginal-people

Module 2, Post #3: Bias-Free Educational Resources

I stumbled across a fabulous site that proclaims to offer ‘bias-free teaching and educational resources related to Native American, First Nations, Indigenous and Aboriginal studies.” GoodMinds.com  is an aboriginal-owned family business based on the Six Nations of Grand River, Ontario. The site provides a compilation of storybooks and novels, along with accompanying classroom activities. Some of the featured book titles include:

  • As I Remember It, by Morin, Tara Lee  —- (first-hand account of being raised on a reserve)
  • Indian Horse, by Wagamese, Richard —- (touches on deep issues such as alchoholism)
  • 500 Years of Resistance Comic Book, Hill, Gord — (recounts the resistance against european colonization)
  • Adventures of Rabbit and Bear Paws: The Voyageurs. Solomon, Chad — (recounts early contact with fur traders)
  • Aboriginal Peoples in Canada: Teacher Resource. GoodMinds.com — (teacher resource focusing on residential schooling)

These are only a few of the many titles suggested. My initial delving has shown that several books would be easily transferable to the classroom. I plan to look more in-depth into a few titles in future web-posts.