If you grew up in America, you probably have memories of dressing up as pilgrims and Native Americans during your classroom Thanksgiving celebration. Well this year children in Claremont, CA, won't be cutting out their construction paper bonnets and headdresses, as some parents have deemed the controversial costumes demeaning.
One parent, also a professor of Native American literature, told the LA Times:
I'm sure you can appreciate the inappropriateness of asking children to dress up like slaves (and kind slave masters), or Jews (and friendly Nazis), or members of any other racial minority group who has struggled in our nation's history.
Still others accuse the historically sensitive parents of using children as a political platform. Has a festive tradition fallen victim to political correctness, or is it time to stop this racist stereotype?
Pied A Terre
Its not demeaning at all.
political correctness is tyrany in disguise. Nothing wrong with letting kids dress up like pilgrims and indians, just teach them the real history when its appropriate to thier age. I didnt grow up to be intolerant of indians because i played like i shot them from my fort.
1Nice picture, CG.
I don't think the positive mythologization of the conquest of North America is a good thing--I do agree with that parent wrote--but I don't see any particular harm in kids dressing up like Pilgrims and Native Americans, either, just as long as, like CG said, they're taught the real history when it's appropriate to their ages.
2I don't see the harm in dressing up but I agree with Jude that when it comes time to learn history at the right age- kids should not be taught that native americans were barbarians and the pilgrims "civilized" them.
3I agree with Jude and CG. I think that this political correctness crap has gotten out of hand, especially in schools. My daughter goes to a school where they can't even hand out those little valentines cards as it might offend someone, somewhere.
4uh oh i said "indian" instead of Native Americans. are the PC police coming for me? or should i have said "injun" and it would have been funny so exempt from the PC police laws.
5You know you're on the PC Police watchlist now, right, CG?
6The story of Thanksgiving celebrates the Native Americans as the heroes. I really don't see how this parent (who seems to really have a chip on his shoulder) can compare a juvenile re-enactment of the first Thanksgiving to a juvenile re-enactment of slavery or the Holocaust.
7everytime i think of kids dressing up like this, I think of the Addams family movie, the second one? where they get sent to camp chippewa and do the musical thanksgiving number "A turkey called brotherhood" and Pugsley is the turkey and his song is "eat me"
8OMG Roarman, Valentine's day cards?? Are you kidding me???
9Yeah, who gets offended by valentines?
10Maybe if the kids don't give them out to everyone in their class?
11Yeah, I could see that.
Back in the day when I was in elementary school, though (late 19th century), we had to give them out to everyone in our class if we wanted to give them out at all. It always pissed my mom off to have to buy all of those when she knew I only liked maybe 3 people in my class.
12In my day we HANDMADE all of our Valentines!
13You win!
14Jude I went to a private christian school and we had to give them out to everyone , we had "pouches" made of construction paper taped to the front of our desk. AND we had one for JESUS too, of which i am SURE he appreciated my hand picked Star Wars valentines.
15Yeah I went to a private school...we handmade all of our cards, we also had the little pouches in front of our desks. Luckily there were only 15 or so in my class...and we were all at the same school from 4th through 8th grade. I was one of 3 girls. It was hard not to be friends with someone.
16I remember the pouch-on-the-desk thing as well.
CG, I bet he did! LOL
17I remember having to give valentine's day cards to everyone when I was in grade school. I always thought it was fun.
I agree with CG and Jude. Dressing up in grade school is harmless as long as the real history is taught at the right age. I really do believe political correctness has gone too far.
18I agree too. I think kids should be taught the real story when they're developmentally able to understand it. Teaching 4 and 5 year olds the real history of Thanksgiving wouldn't be pretty.
19I just feel like our school system as a whole has so many more important challenges to tackle than whether or not a Thanksgiving outfit is PC or not, you know?
20Completely off-topic, but I'M SOOOOO BORED TODAY!! Someone take my eye out with a spoon.
21I think we made Native American head thingies out of construction paper but that was about it. I just like the time off and the awesome food.
22i'm bored too since i have no more school for the week.
23Yeah, I don't have anything to do today except pack for tomorrow morning's flight to Ohio.
I remember enjoying making the turkeys based on the outline of your hand. Good times.
24I am bored too, hence the increase of snarkiness and all around goofy comments.
25Does anyone who is bored want to come over here and help me??? I have tons of work to do! (and will also be kinda working over the entire holiday weekend, I have to watch jobs and restart them if they die...audit them...UGH)
Oh, well, I should be thankful I have a job with the economy in the tank right now!! Bright side....
26Yeah...bright side
It sucks that you have to work over the holiday, though!
27ooooh I love the turkey made from the outline of my hand! I still have it - I am gonna do that little craft with my son tonight - school district be damned!!
28Yeah, and it's my wedding anniversary too! WTF?
29Nooo!
Happy anniversary, though
30Thanks, Jude!
31Hope you have a great time with the fam in Ohio!!
Thanks
32I am at work today, off till next monday, Friday is my birthday!
33
34Happy Birthday, CG!!!
I won't be online much while I'm there, so early Happy Birthday then
35I was just talking with Manfriend yesterday about how insane it is that we ever called Native Americans Indians and how crazy it is that the name has stuck and lasted so long. It's been centuries since we figured out that we're in North America.
So, yes, I guess I'm the PC police. It irritates me when people use the word Indians to describe people who are not from India. It just sounds ignorant.
36Okay. When I was in school we dressed up as Pilgrims and Indians. When I was older I learned the history of Thanksgiving. And guess what? I turned out just fine. (Mostly, but dressing as an Indian had nothing to do with it!!!)
Next thing you know they won't want kids making the turkey hand drawing. (Please tell me you know what I'm talking about!)
Yeah, I hear schools around here won't do Valentine's anymore either because some kids were getting left out. So it's either every kid gets one or none can give them.
37I do have the most adorable picture of myself dressed up as a Native American. Though I'm sure 5 year old me said Indian.
38Happy early Birthday CG! Are you going to go shopping on your birthday?
Martini, you will have to post your son's handiwork when you guys are through. I love those little hand turkeys.
Jude, I hope your flight goes well and you have fun in Ohio!
39Thanks, I'm sure I will
40So do I True Song. My little cloth Indian dress that we decorated with cut potatoes and paint... my macaroni necklace... my construction paper feather headband... and last but not least my Quaker oatmeal container drum.
I was a doll. And again, I'm not warped.
41Oh, skb, I will post it! I love those little hand turkeys too and he has such little hands!!
42see cowboys and native americans sounds wrong....its cowboys and indians darn it.
43You know, we have a museum in DC called the 'National Museum of the American Indian.' All the tribes had a vote, and they OK'ed the use of 'Indian,' so no need to do away with cowboys and indians. The natives have spoken.
44My son, who is 17 months old, came home from daycare yesterday with a native headress made out of construction paper.
If she were allowed, I would send my daughter to school with enough valentines for all of the kids in her class. They aren't allowed to celebrate birthdays, halloween, xmas, hanukah, kwanza etc. And her schools has "multi cultural" in its title. It's really ridiculous. I understand that none of these are important to her education, but valentines parties and halloween parties are fond memories I have of grade school.
And yes I am bored today as well. Not really bored but I would rather peel my fingernails off one by one than work on the project I have to do.
45haha- I have to say Native American because I am South Asian Indian and it would be very confusing if I said Indians. My parents call them American Indians (go figure) - which I find a way more annoying term.
Anyway Happy Birthday CG.
Enjoy the holidays Jude.
Happy anniversary Martini.
(Am I the only one working tomorrow
)
46No, geebers, I have to work tommorrow as well.
Happy Birthday CG!
47Roarman, sounds like the school should be renamed to be "non-cultural" instead of "multi-cultural"! hmmmpf!
My son's preschool doesn't CELEBRATE any holidays, but they always talk about them when they are happening. So, during Eid this year, my son got to talk to his class about Eid and what it is, and my husband also was invited to explain it to the kids. It was really cool, and he said that the kids were so interesting in it while he was talking to them and asked lots of great questions. They will have a talk about Kwanzaa, Hannukah and Christmas, too. Whatever the families celebrate is included. It is great, because kids learn that although their friends may have different traditions, the differences aren't something to fear, but rather to embrace and respect!
48Thanks, geebers...and no, I will be at work tomorrow, same as you!
49That is so cool, Martini!
The only real reason I use Native American is to avoid confusion; I hate those conversations where you have to ask, "Wait, Indian like from India, or Indian as in Native American?"
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