Since 2006, Dr. Debbie Reese has written a blog called " American Indians in Children's Literature," which has raised pertinent critiques and analysis of indigenous peoples in children's books and popular culture.
The activist, writer, and critic, who was recently at ASU giving a lecture as part of the Indigenous Land, Culture, and Community series, explains the pervasive stereotypes about native Americans in popular literature, why phrases like "low man on the totem pole" can be problematic, and how we may have to rethink popular books like "Little House on the Prairie."
Reese who also teaches authors how to appropriately address Naive Americans in their writing, points out that the stories we read from a young age influence how we view the world and process stories bout Native Americans when they pop up in the news, like with the recent Dakota Access Pipeline Protests.
A few books with nuanced depictions of Native American characters that Dr. Reese recommends:
"Jingle Dancer" by Cynhia Leitech Smih