The fact that the book completely misrepresents historical truth is yet another reason to remove it from the school. A book like Sign of the Beaver reminds American Indian children of the hateful attitudes of non-Indians in the past, and brings those attitudes into the classroom today. American Indian children need all the support they can get in order to be successful in school. Historically, education has not been kind to American Indian people and as a result, parents who had negative experiences with their own schooling may not encourage their children to complete their education. However, on reservations and in border towns, these rates can soar to 30-50%. In some urban areas, those rates may average around 10-20 percent. Some American Indian children may feel that a school that promotes such material is offering them the blatant message that the school harbors anti-Indian feelings towards them.Īmerican Indian students suffer higher drop-out rates than any other ethnic group. American Indian children may also experience anger and shame when confronted with certain books and material, particularly when they feel they have been misrepresented or history is wrongly depicted. In our experience, we have found that certain kinds of material, especially involving stereotypes, used in the classroom can contribute to civil rights violations. Students and Teachers Against Racism is an organization whose purpose is to identify and remove discrimination against American Indian students from the classroom and from curriculum. A report on the effects of The Sign of the Beaver, by Elizabeth George Speare
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