Q. Who does the evaluations? What is your process for evaluating books? How do you go about researching the authenticity of a particular book?

We are a very small organization with a lot of friends. Most of us are Indian. We do most of our evaluations by consensus, and sometimes even the actual writing of a particular review may be a group effort. Nine of us wrote the review essay, for example, for My Heart Is on the Ground, which you can find on our web site. Our new book, A Broken Flute: The Native Experience in Books for Children has more than 60 contributors.

The way we choose titles is very subjective. We read everything we think we might like, all the way through. Then we talk. Sometimes a particular book is an obvious “fit.” If we deem a book “so-so,” we choose not to carry it. We also read a lot of objectionable books. After discussing and evaluating them, we choose the “worst of the worst” and put our reviews for some of these in our “books to avoid” section.

We’ve been doing this work for so long that we do not have to “research” most picture books; usually, the dissonance just jumps out (e.g., an open tent in deep snow?). With chapter books that have more subtle cultural references, we have a varied group of colleagues, cultural insiders, who make themselves available to us.

Q. Why should I purchase books from Oyate when I can get them cheaper online?

If you are purchasing books like those offered by Oyate, you believe in providing children with books that honestly portray the lives and histories of Native peoples. Purchasing books from Oyate helps support our evaluative and educational work, including workshops that we provide to help parents and teachers understand bias and stereotyping and how to select better books for their children.

Q. When you describe Oyate as a community-based Native organization, how do you define "Native"?

Oyate recognizes and affirms the sovereign right of every Indian Nation to define and name who is and who is not a citizen. Please view our policy statement for further elaboration.

Q. Would you please review my manuscript because I don’t want to make any mistakes?

We appreciate your efforts to present accurate and authentic images of the lives of Native peoples. But due to the nature of our work, we are unable to respond to requests to review manuscripts. Even if we had the time to do so, there are too many potential pitfalls to this kind of consulting work. While there are also potential benefits to “catching” errors before a book goes into print, publishers and some authors have a long history of ignoring the advice/suggestions/protests of their Indian consultants, then acknowledging them in print. The result is often validation for the authors and publishers and embarrassment for the consultants. For this reason, you may have trouble finding someone who is willing to do what you ask.

If you are working on a book that involves a Native culture that is not your own, be aware that writing as a cultural outsider is fraught with pitfalls, no matter how well intentioned you may be. Also be aware that (1) children’s books that perpetuate the stereotypical image of Indian people in an idealized, historical context damage Indian children, (2) children’s books that interpret Native cultures and histories through a non-Indian perspective damage Indian children, (3) children’s books that assume and write about a generic “Native American spirituality” damage Indian children, and be mindful that (4) a talented Indian writer’s book might not get published because the particular niche in the children’s book market may be filled by non-Native writers writing “children’s books about Indians.” After reflecting on the potential damage your book could cause, we ask that you think again about publishing it.

Q. I am writing a children’s book and I would really appreciate it if you have any legends or stories you could e-mail me.

It is not appropriate for us to guide you in research about Native legends. Traditional stories belong to nations, clans, families, and individuals. Sometimes traditional stories are shared, sometimes they are sold or traded. In any event, a particular story is not for outsiders to learn unless it is given by someone who owns it.

Q. By having a “books to avoid” section and evaluating many books negatively, aren’t you engaging in censorship?

Book reviews provide readers with information they can use to determine whether or not they will purchase or read a specific book. Certain ratings systems may not have an “avoid this book” category, but the books that receive low ratings are likely to be avoided by consumers who trust the reviewers’ expertise in evaluating the books. At Oyate, we feel strongly that the books in our “avoid” category are harmful to children, and we choose to be honest in our evaluation and designation of these books.

A suggestion that a particular book be kept out of the hands of impressionable youngsters cannot be censorship, which occurs when someone has the legal, political and financial ability to prevent people from reading a particular book. Allowing young children unlimited access to books that may hurt them would be similar, in our opinion, as offering them a loaded gun or a bottle of flavored aspirin, or not pulling them out of the way of a speeding truck.

Q. Are there any authors you recommend without reservation?

Although we certainly have our favorite authors, we recommend individual titles on their own merits.

Q. Why isn’t my favorite book on your web site?

We choose our books very carefully, and our decisions are subjective. Besides cultural authenticity, we look for books and materials that are engaging and avoid being “teachy and preachy.” The cultural content needs to be unselfconscious. The stories we like best are from a tribal esthetic model, incorporating indigenous genres and traditions. Of the vast numbers of review books that are sent to us, we read many, and put aside many more. We like to think that the books that find their way to our catalog and web site represent the best of Indian writing and illustration. We also include some books by non-Native authors, because we think these titles have a particular importance. Many of the books we recommend are from tribal organizations and Indian-owned small presses. Many are not reviewed by the mainstream journals. In this regard, your favorite book may not be a book that we recommend.

Q. My elementary school library has a number of older books on Native Americans. Do you have a more comprehensive listing of books to avoid besides the short list on your site? The ones I have are copyrighted in the 1960s and 70s. They are of a general, non-fiction nature. I also have many more up-to-date titles and series, which I assume are acceptable. If you have any fliers or brochures, I’d like to see them, too. I’d appreciate articles on how schools should/should not treat Native American studies—Thanksgiving, costumes, songs, etc., especially at the elementary school level.

We have a list of books we don’t recommend, but we use it only in-house. That's because our list is not annotated and we feel it's unfair to circulate something like this (especially since it contains hundreds of titles) without saying why we do not recommend a particular title. Generally, we don't recommend the older "non-fiction" books, especially ones written by Sonia Bleeker, Robert Hofsinde ("Grey Wolf") and others, but we also don't recommend many of the newer titles and series. If you look at our "Books to Avoid" section, you'll find newer titles, for instance, Albert Marrin's Sitting Bull and His World (2000) and Michael Cooper's Indian School: Teaching the White Man's Way (1999).

We can refer you to several books that might be of help: Through Indian Eyes: The Native Experience in Books for Children and its companion, A Broken Flute: The Native Experience in Books for Children, How to Tell the Difference: A Guide for Evaluating Children's Books for Anti-Indian Bias, Thanksgiving: A Native Perspective, American Indian Stereotypes in the World of Children, and Points of View vs. Historical Bias: Recognizing Bias in Texts about Native Americans.

You can also refer to Lisa Mitten's excellent web site, www.nativeculture.com/lisamitten/aila.html.

Q. I am a third-grade teacher planning a unit on local Native Americans. I want my students to understand the beauty of the people and their lives. I want them to understand how different our community is now compared to when there were tribes living on the land. I want them to learn the significance of the art work, the dances and the movement and sounds of the people but how do I do it? I can easily have them make vests of paper bags but that isn’t enough….

We suggest you go to the source. You can start by contacting the Indian Education office through your local school district. Perhaps an elder would be willing to come to your classroom and talk with the children about what the issues are in the Indian community. If this happens, be prepared to pay that elder an honorarium for the visit, and have your students give the elder a “thank-you” as well. This could be letters, drawings, or some other heartfelt gift. You can also look at our web site for excellent books and materials that are written and illustrated by Indian writers and artists. We also carry a good selection of music and videos that will appeal to youngsters. You might also want to look at our poster, “Teaching Respect for Native Peoples.”

Q. I am a graduate student and am working on a paper about Biases in Children's Literature. I am looking for research information on how cultures are misrepresented in literature and what can be done to avoid this. Please send me any information you may have on this matter.

We can refer you to several things that might be of help. One is our web site, especially the "Books to Avoid" section. We also recommend several books: Through Indian Eyes: The Native Experience in Books for Children and its companion, A Broken Flute: The Native Experience in Books for Children, How to Tell the Difference: A Guide for Evaluating Children's Books for Anti-Indian Bias, Thanksgiving: A Native Perspective, American Indian Stereotypes in the World of Children, and Points of View vs. Historical Bias: Recognizing Bias in Texts about Native Americans.

You can also refer to Lisa Mitten's excellent web site, www.nativeculture.com/lisamitten/aila.html.

Q. I am a student at (X) University. My Multiculturalism in Education class is doing a presentation on the (X) Indians. Where we can we find information on the following areas: 1. teaching methodologies/curricular concerns and educational experiences of (X) Indian children 2. the impact of racism, stereotyping, and prejudice in the United States on Native Americans 3. suggested methods to improve relationships between Native Americans and the mainstream Americans if you could share any information or sources of information, at all, it would be greatly appreciated.

We suggest you go to the source and contact the (X) Nation itself. Many nations have web sites and e-mail addresses as well as addresses and telephone numbers. Next, you might contact the local Title IX (Indian Education) office through your school district. They will probably have information that is useful to you as well. Generally, for questions 2 and 3, there are several things that might be of help. One is our web site, especially the "Books to Avoid" section.

We also recommend several books: Through Indian Eyes: The Native Experience in Books for Children and its companion, A Broken Flute: The Native Experience in Books for Children, How to Tell the Difference: A Guide for Evaluating Children's Books for Anti-Indian Bias, Thanksgiving: A Native Perspective, American Indian Stereotypes in the World of Children, and Points of View vs. Historical Bias: Recognizing Bias in Texts about Native Americans.

You can also refer to Lisa Mitten's excellent web site, www.nativeculture.com/lisamitten/aila.html.

Q. Which is correct, “Native American” or “Indian”?

Generally, the term "Native American" is used in a formal way (usually written), and the term "Indian" is used informally by community members. People generally introduce themselves first by their name, clan, family, sometimes nation. So someone might introduce herself as "Sally Yazzie" or "Sally Yazzie, Redhouse clan, born for Bitter Water, my family lives up the hill near the big rock." Or she might say to someone who doesn't know that Yazzie is a Diné name, "Sally Yazzie, Diné." Or she might say to an outsider, "Sally Yazzie, Navajo" or "Sally Yazzie, Navajo Indian." In our writing, we use the terms "Native" and "Indian" interchangeably, depending on which word sounds better in the context. In Canada, people refer to themselves as First Nations Peoples. That hasn't caught on here yet. We don't use the term "Native American" very often. Some people do not like the word "Indian," because it refers to Columbus's mistake. Others do not like the term "Native American" because anyone born here is a "native American." And still others do not like the term "American Indian" because it's an oxymoron.

Q. What about the word “papoose”?

“Papoose” is derived from the word for “baby” in the Algonkian languages (Great Lakes, all of Canada, all of New England and the Maritimes). The Wampanoag word, for instance, is “pappeissue.” Over time, it was distorted by non-Native traders and used as a derogatory word to refer to all Indian babies. All Indian languages—in fact, all languages—have at least one word for “baby,” and most Indian people today refer to babies as “babies.”

Indian languages in different contexts may have greater versatility than English. In English, one might refer to a baby as “baby,” “infant,” “offspring,” or “child.” In Ojibwe, “binoji” means “baby,” “binojig” means Indian babies, “binojiyag” in certain contexts means Indian children who are older and have been influenced by people other than their mothers or the people in their households. The same word refers to non-Indian babies in a different context. This difference in suffix is a psychological distance indicator, something that probably doesn’t exist in the English language. (Lois Beardslee)

Q. What about the word “squaw”?

“Squaw” is derived from the word element that can be used as a prefix and suffix, spelled “squa,” “skwa,” “esqua,” “kwe,” and “squeh,” and which means “woman” in the (Algonkian) languages (Great Lakes, all of Canada, all of New England and the Maritimes), and there are girls and women today whose Indian names have “sq” or “kwe” at the beginning or end. The Abenaki word for “my female friend,” for instance, is “nidonbasqua.” Non-Native traders distorted this female denotation, often grabbing their crotches and saying “squaw” to indicate to Indian men that they wanted a woman for sexual purposes. As currently used, this word has become an insult to all Native women. All Indian languages have a word for “woman,” and most Indian people today refer to women as “women.”

Q. Can you please tell me what the Indian word for “eagle” is?

We cannot do translations or tell you what a word means in all of the approximately 500 Native languages of North America.

Q. What do you think of the many captivity novels for children?

The “captivity novels” are based on narratives of the 1700s and 1800s, written by white people (mostly women), who were taken captive and adopted into Indian nations, and who chose to live with their adopted families, or were released or taken back (against their wills) to their white families or communities. These narratives were then hyper-edited to provide horror stories with gruesome details of “savage” life and culture to feed the newspaper and pulp-fiction markets of the time. Beginning in the 1940s, these reworked narratives became fodder for the growing fiction market, and by the 1960s, for the growing “multicultural literature” market. The problem with just about all of the “captivity novels for young readers” is that they are, by their very nature, stories written by outsiders, about the lives of peoples who are foreign and to be feared. Rather than telling honest stories about real peoples, contemporary non-Indian authors continue to rewrite, reshape and reinterpret the lives, histories and belief systems of Indian peoples of the 18th and 19th centuries, continuing to provide more scary stories for the consumption of non-Indian children.

Q. I had a dream last night….

We don’t do dream interpretations.