Reflection on the Native American Text Set

The three works of Native American children’s literature that I chose to review are the following:
Crazy Horse’s Vision by Joseph Bruchac and illustrated by S.D. Nelson
Jingle Dancer by Cynthia Leitich Smith and illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu
The Game of Silence by Louise Erdrich

The text set has common themes as well as some variants. This reflection post will discuss these themes and variations and the significance of these books as cultural informers.

All three books describe the adherence to Native American tradition. Although two of the texts represent Ojibwa people (Erdrich and Smith) and the other focuses on Plains Indians (Bruchac), all of the main characters overcame tribulations by relying on custom, i.e. completing vision quests or seeking advice from older generations.

Another common theme present across the text set is the sense that each child is responsible for their own destiny. All three main characters take initiatives to gain control over their lives. Also a shared theme is that of family. Each book describes how the characters seek guidance from family members.

A variation that I picked up on is that both Crazy Horse’s Vision and The Game of Silence discuss conflicts with white people although Jingle Dancer does not. However, Crazy Horse’s Vision does not suffer from the “Dances With Wolves Syndrome.” This is Bruchac’s name for books “in which all Indians are noble, and all white people are bad,” (Reese 170). Bruchac cautions against choosing these kinds of books because they perpetuate racial tension.

A second variant is the categorization of these books. Crazy Horse’s Vision and The Game of Silence are historical fiction while Jingle Dancer is contemporary fiction. I explain Cynthia Leitich Smith’s rational for writing contemporary fiction as opposed to historical fiction in my book review of Jingle Dancer.

The most important aspect of these books is the information provided on Native American tradition. Each text discusses and explains Native American customs and culture of which audiences may be misinformed or unaware. Jingle Dancer also portrays the continuity of culture as it is set in a contemporary setting. Surely this text set represents a culture which is equally as valid as any. The care with which the authors explain the Native American culture can be felt and conveys to the audience that this is an important subject matter to be educated about.

Works Cited:

Bruchac, Joseph. Crazy Horse’s Vision. New York: Lee & Low Books, Inc., 2000.

Erdrich, Louise. The Game of Silence. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2005.

Reese, Debbie A. and Caldwell-Wood, Naomi. "Native Americans
in Children's Literature" in Harris, V. J. (Ed.) Using Multiethnic Literature in the K-8 Classroom. Norwood: Christopher Gordon, Inc., (1997): 155-192.

Smith, Cynthia L. Jingle Dancer. New York: Morrow Junior Books, 2000.