How History Teachers Can Break Down the “Ecological Indian” Stereotype for their Students
Harmful biases exist in all types of literature, so it is important to understand where they come from and how to pick them out
Teachers have influence over their students’ academic and personal careers, so it is important to influence the students to make fair decisions
American history class curriculum (mandated by each state) is notorious for leaving out details, oversimplifying events, and excluding minority voices.
There were no primary sources available for any conflict involving indigenous peoples and Americans in my A.P. U.S. History textbook. We learned about initial contact in the 1500s, the Trail of Tears, and the formation of reservations.
Indigenous voices were and are excluded as a part of recorded American history. They exist as more than victims and caricatures, though, they were making history alongside everyone else.
One particular caricature that has existed since the fur trade era is the “ecological Indian”
The concept is an oversimplified character that ascribes indigenous peoples’ spirituality to perfect environmentalism. It sets a standard that indigenous people lived in perfect harmony with the world and were not capable of significant actions.
The term “ecological Indian” comes from a book written by Shepherd Krech, The Ecological Indian. The term implies that all indigenous people have the same exact values, customs, beliefs, and experiences when it comes to the environment. However, Krech emphasizes the journey that all groups of people take on learning how to interact with the environment.
The “ecological Indian” is a myth perpetuated by academic literature and popular culture
It was used to justify environmental degradation. The myth of the “ecological Indian” is an idea based on the notion that indigenous people are more connected with nature, and thus have a healthier relationship with the environment.
This myth is used to downplay the impact of human activity on the environment prior to colonization.
The reality is that indigenous people are just as capable of environmental damage. The myth of the “ecological Indian” is used to promote a false sense of environmental stewardship only pertaining to indigenous people.
It is a fabricated standard to uphold a particular group that is an exaggeration and oversimplification of the diversity, culture, and spirituality of indigenous peoples.
Indigenous people are often regarded as passive characters in their own stories
Indigenous peoples are frequently written about as victims of colonialism.
A lot of literature that is consumed and cited in the academic field is written by the majority culture, white men. Therefore, there is a bias present in a lot of literature that must be considered when reading and utilizing the source.
According to Feit, Northern Algonquin knowledge and European knowledge were valued differently by academic analysis papers. Many authors claimed that “…Northern Algonquins’ religious statements about human-animal relationships were demonstrably unrelated to ‘Western ecology’…,” implying that one was superior to the other.
Due to the bias in academia and literature, indigenous people are reduced to one-dimensional stereotypes that are written about as though they were pawns in European and American endeavors. Indigenous groups are written about as though they have no autonomy, history, culture, or conflict.
Though, that is not the case. For example, indigenous politics played a major role in how the fur trade operated. Indigenous groups used European trappers and traders as ways to indirectly interact with one another, and participate in conflict. Europeans were entirely unaware of what they were working with and indigenous groups could’ve used this to their advantage.
According to Schilz, indigenous people acted as “middlemen” that negotiated and maintained trade relationships between Europeans and Americans, and indigenous groups. Middlemen used those trades to obtain large amounts of resources for themselves.
We need to rethink how history is told and talked about to break down the stereotypes that are so willingly accepted by the majority culture
There is an implicit bias against indigenous people in American textbooks. The events are written from a colonial point of view, so it is important to compare sources.
Implicit biases also exist in popular culture, especially in the media. Indigenous peoples are excluded, ignored, silenced, or put down, not being taken seriously. The treatment of these groups of people is a reflection of socially persistent colonial attitudes towards the same groups.
It is important to break the cycle as much as possible
Teachers have a large impact on students and what they learn. Teaching and reminding students about implicit biases reflected in literature and media would help develop critical thinking skills about the world around them.
There are some stories that are ingrained in American cultures, such as Pocahontas or Thanksgiving. But, these stories discount the true history of the events. Plus, they feed into harmful stereotypes of indigenous peoples.
I understand it could hard as an elementary school social studies teacher to tell students about the atrocities committed against indigenous peoples by white settlers, but it is important that these stereotypes get broken down and eliminated from popular culture and society.
