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The ad uses "civilized man" and "savage." It doesn't say "savage man"--it simply says "savage."
I'm wondering if the roots of the "savage" idea used by the American Freedom Defense Initiative go back to children's books? One children's book after another uses "savage" or "savages" to describe Indigenous peoples.
Want some examples?
In Carol Ryrie Brink's Caddie Woodlawn, published in 1935, Mrs. Woodlawn says "those frightful savages will eat us out of house and home" (p. 7). In Lois Lenski's Indian Captive, published in 1941, Captain Morgan says "An untamed savage, growing up like a wild beast in the forest" (p. 264).
In Elizabeth George Speare's Calico Captive, published in 1957, the narrative reads "Two of the savages came from the bedroom, dragging a shrinking and almost naked Susana between them" (p. 16).
In Speare's The Witch of Blackbird Pond, published in 1958, John says to Kit "How did you learn to read when you say you just ran wild like a savage and never did any work? (p. 27).
In her Sign of the Beaver, published in 1983, Matt thinks "How could he possibly teach a savage to read?" (p. 32). These books are miseducating the young people who read them.
Words are powerful weapons that are used to socialize---to teach---that certain peoples are "other" to be feared, defeated, killed, colonized. Not using nouns that make it clear that Indigenous peoples are human beings, or men, women, children, and babies, helped, and helps, to justify wars and aggression by the "civilized man" on American Indians and anyone else deemed as "enemy." With 'savage' ideology firmly embedded in that "civilized man," all manner of aggression and war are possible.
I think children's books are part of the socialization that creates an attitude like the one on display in the ad, and I will continue to use American Indians in Children's Literature to point out destructive biases that hurt all of us. I hope you will, too.
3 Comments on "In any war between the civilized man and the savage...", last added: 9/8/2012
Funny that the term "savage" is being applied to the Palestians. That implies that they are the indigenious people to those lands and are being oppressed by colonialist land-grabbers. By the way, I know this isn't a children's book, but what are you're thoughts on Brave New World, and the "Savage" in that story?
Elizabeth George Speare's Sign of the Beaver has been discussed here several times...
On March 20th, 2007, I posted "Eighth Graders Analyze SIGN OF THE BEAVER." It is an essay submitted by Karen, a classroom teacher.
On Wednesday, April 11, 2007, I posted a report on the book, put together by Students and Teachers Against Racism, located in Fairfield, Connecticut.
And then on Monday, October 22, 2007, I discussed the use of the word squaw in the book, in the context of the use of that word in larger societal contexts.
What I'm sharing today was submitted by Judy Dow and Robette Dias as a response to the Oct 2007 discussion of the word squaw. Rather than add it to that discussion, I'm featuring it as a stand-alone piece. I'm grateful to Judy and Robette for this contribution. Judy is Abenaki, and Robette is Karuk. They are on the board of Oyate.
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After reading the concern and comments about the use of the word “Squaw” in The Sign of the Beaver we are concerned. It is our hopes that people don’t see this as the only thing wrong with this book because there are far too many other things wrong to just stop there. Judy's two children were forced to read this book in their fourth grade classes. She still has her son’s copy of the book filled with hand-drawn doodles and arrows. Some twenty years later we can visually see the disgust he must have felt as he read through this book.
Why is it books like this are used in a classroom to teach what the “period” was like as if it is an historical book? There is nothing historical about this book except that twenty-seven years later it is still being read in many classrooms and is on some mandatory reading lists. Why is it some parents and some teachers protect their children and students from the truth? Is it because truths can be painful? So is this book to some. Why is it people feel they must hide the facts about genocide, acculturation, assimilation, and ethnocide? Is it because they are difficult topics for young people to understand? The proper words exist to teach these topics to young people. As educators of the generations that will be caring for us when we get older we believe it is important that we start using the proper words to teach these difficult topics. It can be done. We cannot continue to hide or protect our children from the truth. Let’s teach them instead to be seekers of the truths.
Here is one truth that wasn't discussed on Debbie’s blog posts, and, that is never even mentioned in Th
1 Comments on Judy Dow and Robette Dias Comment on SIGN OF THE BEAVER, last added: 1/7/2010
Thanks, Judy Dow and Robette Dias, for bringing that information to light in this very public forum. One of the features of Debbie's blog that turns out to be most valuable for me is that Debbie and readers can revisit topics -- even from years ago -- with new information that has the potential to make our advocacy even more powerful. We can respond to (and use) what we know about.
To me, one the most troubling things about historical fiction for children (such as SotB) is that adults tend to assume that the "historical" details are inherently accurate, enabling them to justify classroom use of such books to teach about the times in which the books are (supposedly) set. All the while, the evidence mounts that even those historical fiction writers who have somehow managed to create reputations of being careful researchers are actually doing very little research -- or doing it very carelessly.
I'm not trying to say that historical fiction is the only problematic genre when it comes to obscuring the real history that Judy Dow and Robette Dias refer to. Writers of historical nonfiction for children also seem to avoid the "difficult look". Maybe the document Ms. Dow and Ms. Dias refer to is mentioned somewhere in children;s non-fiction, but I have not seen it (and would be glad to have someone show me that I'm wrong...)
Debbie, this is apparently a quote from Ayn Rand -- I ran across this today just after reading your post:
http://mondoweiss.net/2012/08/ryan-said-to-be-meeting-with-adelson.html
Ayn Rand may not have been exposed to American children's books but the sentiment is just as despicable no matter its derivation.
Funny that the term "savage" is being applied to the Palestians. That implies that they are the indigenious people to those lands and are being oppressed by colonialist land-grabbers. By the way, I know this isn't a children's book, but what are you're thoughts on Brave New World, and the "Savage" in that story?
I just stumbled on your blog, and I think it's great...and, yes, the slogan on that ad reeks of psychological violence.