Workshop: Through Indian Eyes: Evaluating Books and Media for Stereotypes

• Event Date: Saturday, February 5, 2011
• Time: 9:00 am–11:30 am (CST)
• Location: Zahn Learning Center, Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory St., Urbana, IL
• Cost: $30. Pre-registration is required.

• Workshop

This workshop, presented by Dovie Thomason of the Lakota and Kiowa Apache Nations, is designed for librarians and media specialists, as well as classroom teachers. Is “Indian” a derogatory name? What books offend Native people - and why? What resources are available to help select appropriate materials? An always-lively discussion is a large part of this workshop, which deals with exercises to identify bias and stereotypes, techniques and checklists to evaluate books, review of some familiar titles and suggestions for planning a Native unit incorporating stories.

Dovie has traveled throughout North America and abroad for more than twenty years, sharing the wisdom, humor and history of her heritage through stories. She has captivated audiences at the Grand Opening of the National Museum of the American Indian, the Smithsonian’s Discovery Theater, Wolf Trap, The Kennedy Center and The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation Poetry Festival as well as at universities, conferences, and libraries in the U.S. and abroad. She holds her listeners spellbound with her gift of “astonishing vocal transformation.”

A former teacher and university professor, Dovie writes regularly for educators and is featured in anthologies from Oyate Press. Her recordings and writings have been lauded by the American Library Association. She was honored as the 2002 Traditional Storyteller of the Year by the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers.

Dovie’s workshops and keynote addresses on cultural diversity, untold histories, ethics, cultural integrity, and the role of stories in reconciliation have been featured at many events, including the 2005 National Storytelling Conference.

This workshop is part of the Museum’s annual Winter Tales event, which is sponsored by an endowment from Reginald and Gladys Laubin.