Faceless Natives and Exceptionalist Narratives: Critically Analyzing Indigenous History Resources Found on Online Curriculum Marketplaces

• In Event: Critical Studies in the Social Studies

Abstract

In response to this year’s AERA theme, we consider the ways that the popular online curriculum marketplace Teachers Pay Teachers reinforces and propagates anti-Indigenous narratives. Resources about Indigenous histories selected by elementary preservice teachers for a critical media literacy project in a social studies methods course were analyzed to determine the nature of the narratives as well as how preservice teachers evaluated those narratives. Our analysis revealed that the critical media literacy tool preservice teachers used was insufficient; while they could identify problematic dominant narratives with Manifest Destiny ideologies, they did not have counter narratives to replace them. Findings suggest that critical race media literacy is needed to center anti-racist and anti-colonial Indigenous narratives in online resources.

Authors

• Noreen Naseem Rodriguez, University of Colorado - Boulder

• Michael Brown, Iowa State University

• Amy Updegraff, Iowa State University

• Amanda Elizabeth Vickery, University of North Texas