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A Child's First P.C. Thanksgiving
FrontPageMagazine.com ^ | 11/24/03 | Rex W. Huppke

Posted on 11/24/2003 3:47:10 AM PST by kattracks

A group of Skokie 1st graders got an unexpected lesson in cultural sensitivity Friday when their principal wouldn't let them dress as American Indians for their annual Thanksgiving celebration.

After a parent complained that the costumes the children had made might be offensive, the principal told the kids to leave their construction-paper headdresses on the classroom shelves.

Those who had opted to be pilgrims fared no better. Their paper black hats and bonnets also were banned, and for the first time in more than two decades, the 1st graders at Madison School commemorated the events of October 1621 in their school clothes.

American Indian groups in Chicago applauded Principal Pete Davis' decision. Leonard Malatare of the American Indian Center said generic Indian outfits tend to promote Hollywood-style stereotypes of American Indians.

"At this age level, you let them dress up in feathers and do the little Indian thing, they'll grow up with that image in their head," Malatare said. "I've had people come up and ask me if I was born in a teepee. We need to start getting away from these stereotypes."

But the parents of youngsters who had worked on costumes for the last month didn't appreciate the school changing its Thanksgiving tradition on short notice.

"I'm a little disgusted," said Terri Lefler, whose son, Matthew, 6, didn't understand why he couldn't wear the costume he'd made. "I think we could have let the children wear the costumes and still taught them to respect the differences and the importance of Native American culture."

Davis said two American Indian organizations he consulted told him it would be offensive for any child to dress up in stereotypical outfits.

"They advised us very strongly not to do it," Davis said. "After I understood the Native American perspective, I just did not feel like we could go ahead with that part of our feast."

The situation at Madison School is not unusual, said David Spencer, director of development at the American Indian Center. School officials often call the center asking how to handle Thanksgiving celebrations, Spencer said.

"The things schools are doing is they are representing Native Americans as one group of people, not a diverse community," Spencer said. "It's incredible how many Chicago public school teachers don't know anything about indigenous culture."

The center has started holding training sessions for teachers to bring them up to speed on American Indian culture, he said.

Davis said he was surprised to learn that what Madison School had done for so many years could be construed as offensive.

"I had a fair amount of confidence that our traditions here were based in good teaching and good learning, and that we were not doing any harm in any way," the principal said. "I thought what we were doing was a pretty good way to recognize this holiday."

School officials across the country mistakenly believe the same thing, said Faith Smith, the president of the Native American Educational Services College in Chicago. Part of the problem, she said, is that Thanksgiving is one of the few times during the year when teachers and administrators think about American Indians.

"Nothing else happens through the year," Smith said. "It's as though we don't exist for 364 days, and then for one day we appear. That just isn't appropriate."

On Friday, when the Madison School 1st graders gathered for their Thanksgiving celebration, they got a lesson in American Indian culture.

In place of the kids' traditional costumed re-enactment, the school invited Malatare to tell the children about his culture. Malatare taught the pupils a few words in the Oglala Lakota language and led them in a traditional blessing.

The 6- and 7-year-olds seemed more concerned with the content of their juice boxes than with the broader societal issues at play, however, and many parents said the school overreacted.

"I don't think it had anything to do with Thanksgiving," parent Keith Liscio said of Malatare's presentation. "I think it kind of just hijacked the whole purpose of today's program."

Liscio said he couldn't find a way to make his daughter understand why she couldn't wear her pilgrim outfit.

"She and her friend came home from a Brownie meeting last night, and they were in tears," Liscio said Friday after visiting the school with other parents to watch the assembly. "This is a tradition that was changed in the blink of an eyelid because one person complained. We're just bent over so far backward to be politically correct that we're doing things that are almost nonsensical."

Jennifer Miller-Davis questioned whether her daughter, Emma, understood much of what Malatare said.

"What does a 6- or 7-year-old know about stereotyping?" Miller-Davis said. "There was no discussion about how this should be handled. The school just made the decision so fast."

Pete Davis said the school will continue to examine how it handles Thanksgiving, but the costumes won't return. The angry parents who were on hand expressed their disapproval but recognized there was little they could do to rekindle the tradition.

The 1st graders seemed unfazed, screeching out songs, giggling and gobbling up squares of pumpkin cake.

"It was still fun this way," said Emma Davis, 6.

Her mother smiled and concurred that the whole controversy had rolled off the children's backs.

"They're just going to remember the food," Miller-Davis said. "It's going to be, 'Yeah, the cake, the cake!'"

She paused a moment and looked around the room at the chortling youngsters.

"It's us adults, really," she said. "We're the ones that need to get our act together." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------



TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News; News/Current Events; US: Illinois
KEYWORDS: pc; thanksgiving
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1 posted on 11/24/2003 3:47:11 AM PST by kattracks
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To: kattracks
It would have made more sense to have the Indian culture lesson before thanksgiving, and a pilgrim's culture lesson on a different day, also before thanksgiving... and then a traditional thanksgiving at the school.

But school officials are nothing if not unimaginative and stupid. It's one of the qualifications for the job. Prospective school principles, for example, are tested before they're hired and if they put any round pegs in round holes that's it... they're out.

2 posted on 11/24/2003 3:55:15 AM PST by samtheman
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To: kattracks
"It's incredible how many Chicago public school teachers don't know anything about indigenous culture."

Not so incredible. Most of them don't know anything about math, history, science, etc.

3 posted on 11/24/2003 4:01:04 AM PST by FormerlyAnotherLurker
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To: kattracks
Don't these idiot educators know about era costumes? Exactly what did the indians wear in the 1600's? Was there a Sears & Robuck near Plymouth Rock?

If indians (of which I am) are so ashamed of their past it's little wonder they have a huge chip on their collective shoulders. I would explain to an inquisitive child that no, I was not born in a teepee. I was born in a hospital. But a lot of my forefathers were born in teepees.

Indians in leather and headdresses is not just a fashion statement made up in Hollywood. It really did happen. Don't be ashamed, you indians!
4 posted on 11/24/2003 4:07:40 AM PST by whereasandsoforth (tagged for migratory purposes only)
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To: whereasandsoforth
Don't these idiot educators know about era costumes? Exactly what did the indians wear in the 1600's?

The buckskin clothes that we associate with 'white' backwoodsmen and the wild west were inspired by the Indians clothing of the east and northeast in the 1600s. Was that disrespectful to emulate their dress back then? Is it stereotyping then, to dress as Pilgrims? Aren't some of the points of Thanksgiving to come together, set aside conflicts, show goodwill, be thankful? I think Indians should feel honored that kids want to dress up in the old Indian dress, and how can you reenact the first Thenksgiving without representing everyone who was there? I hope this make sense. I have had no coffee yet.

5 posted on 11/24/2003 4:22:12 AM PST by Eowyn-of-Rohan
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To: kattracks
There are 4253 persons on the Cherokee Nation Rolls as of 1924, as just one tribal example. Very likely, quite a few "Indians" were denied the right to diversely celebrate their heritage! :-)

Lawsuit!!!

6 posted on 11/24/2003 4:23:38 AM PST by Gorzaloon (Contents may have settled during shipping, but this tagline contains the stated product weight.)
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To: kattracks
"It's us adults, really," she said. "We're the ones that need to get our act together."

Is that a loud "amen!" I hear?

7 posted on 11/24/2003 4:24:38 AM PST by DJ Frisat
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To: kattracks
I wonder how far one could take the "i'm offended" issue in the public schools.
8 posted on 11/24/2003 4:25:41 AM PST by Rebelbase
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Comment #9 Removed by Moderator

To: kattracks
>>>"At this age level, you let them dress up in feathers and do the little Indian thing, they'll grow up with that image in their head," Malatare said. "I've had people come up and ask me if I was born in a teepee. We need to start getting away from these stereotypes." <<<

And I've been asked if I owned slaves because I'm caucasian.
10 posted on 11/24/2003 4:28:37 AM PST by BBell
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To: kattracks
*"They're just going to remember the food," Miller-Davis said. "It's going to be, 'Yeah, the cake, the cake!'" *

That won't last long. Here is how a Maine school snuffed out festivities for their 5th graders

WATERVILLE — Fifth-graders at Albert S. Hall School got a lesson in hunger Thursday that they likely will never forget.

The 60 children were randomly given colored stickers to wear and led into the school library, told only that they were going to take part in an educational experience.

Those with yellow stickers were asked to sit at a banquet table at the head of the room — a table laid out with a sumptuous repast of roasted chicken, pizza, homemade bread, rich chocolate cake and other delectables. Fresh flowers and candles adorned the table, and a waiter stood by to bring them whatever they wanted.

The children wearing green stickers were asked to sit in a double row of chairs set up near the head table, but were told they would be eating only peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and apple juice.

The meal for the largest number of students, who were seated on the floor, was a measly bowl of white rice and a small cup of water, tinted brown with food coloring.

Teachers Lesley Fowler and Sarah Thibault told the wide-eyed children that 1.2 billion people —about one-fifth of the world's population — live in poverty.

They said those at the head table represent 15 percent of that population — the well-to-do who have plenty to eat, adequate health care and a safe and comfortable home. Those sitting in the chairs represent the middle-income group who comprise about 30 percent of the world's population. Many of them are laborers who live on the edge, and suffer a harsh life. And those on the floor, representing the low-income people, make up about 55 percent of the population. They struggle for food and shelter, and likely never will have health care.

"This is a small slice of life as it plays out each day around the globe," Thibault said. "Now, we invite you to eat the way the world eats."

As children at the head table beamed while they dined on sweet treats, most of those on the floor were visibly unhappy, poking at their rice.

"That's no fair," said Matt Veilleux, 10, as he sat on the crowded floor, watching the luckier children munch on cake. "I don't like this stuff."

Jessica Wing, 11, said she wasn't comfortable sitting at the head table while her friends were relegated to the floor.

"I'm feeling really bad. I want to go and give food to them," she said.

Wing said she thought the lesson was a good way to teach children about hunger.

5th graders get hunger lesson (BARF)

Notice how the PC teachers pull these stunts on the youngest in an effort to indoctrinate ("brainwash") them. The older kids are 'fed' the Health curriculum of condoms and birth control.

11 posted on 11/24/2003 4:33:04 AM PST by NYer ("Close your ears to the whisperings of hell and bravely oppose its onslaughts." ---St Clare Assisi)
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To: Rebelbase; TonyRo76
I wonder how far one could take the "i'm offended" issue in the public schools.

I'm so offended that the minority PC crowd has taken our history, religion and culture and flushed it that I could scream.

One thought: If parents stand by and let this stand, they deserve it. PERIOD! Enough is enough already. Fighting back is waaaay overdue and parents need to find their voices and backbones.
12 posted on 11/24/2003 4:33:59 AM PST by demkicker
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To: NYer
Gee thanks, now I'm REALLY p*ssed off! Where in the world are the parents? Are they on PC meds or something?
13 posted on 11/24/2003 4:37:06 AM PST by demkicker
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To: T Minus Four
Ping. For Sara
14 posted on 11/24/2003 4:52:16 AM PST by 4mer Liberal
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To: 4mer Liberal
http://wlsam.com/listenlive.asp

15 posted on 11/24/2003 5:14:49 AM PST by OXENinFLA
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To: 4mer Liberal
Oops, Don Wade & Roma are talking and taking calls on this now...
16 posted on 11/24/2003 5:15:29 AM PST by OXENinFLA
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To: demkicker
*Teachers Lesley Fowler and Sarah Thibault told the wide-eyed children that 1.2 billion people —about one-fifth of the world's population — live in poverty. *

I'll bet the teachers sat down to a nice lunch AFTER delivering this lesson plan. No mention of what was done with the leftovers - donated to a soup kitchen or tossed in the day's trash barrels. The kids were NOT shown that!

17 posted on 11/24/2003 5:22:27 AM PST by NYer ("Close your ears to the whisperings of hell and bravely oppose its onslaughts." ---St Clare Assisi)
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To: kattracks
After a parent complained that the costumes the children had made might be offensive..

Once again the minority dictating to the MAJORITY. When will it ever end?

18 posted on 11/24/2003 5:24:46 AM PST by Puppage (You may disagree with what I have to say, but I will defend to your death my right to say it)
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To: kattracks
Don't tell me they're going to have to cancel next semester's Village People concert!?


19 posted on 11/24/2003 5:33:57 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest
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To: demkicker
" Fighting back is waaaay overdue and parents need to find their voices and backbones."

Sadly, the majority of the parents of school age kids in this country is tilting in favor of those who were educated in the PC era. The apathy toward schools is horrible...people complain louder when their cable tv goes out than they do at the current state of the liberal education system.
20 posted on 11/24/2003 5:46:18 AM PST by Rebelbase
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