Coraje de Sarah Noble Book

I know this book has been criticized for portraying Native Americans in a negative light and propagating false information about them, but, considering that it is based on a true story and from the point of view of an 8-year-old pioneer girl in the 1700s, it is probably an accurate portrayal of what people would think or say about Native Americans at the time. The use of the term "Indians," while inaccurate at best and offensive at worst, was what people in the 1700s called them (or worse). I noticed that, while some reviewers criticized the Robinson mother for calling Indians "heathen savages" and the Robinson children saying they would kill you, cut your head off, skin you alive, and eat you, they failed to mention that Sarah's father later said to Sarah: "Mistress Robinson should teach her children to watch their words. She should watch her own." Yes, some of the things even the Nobles said and did are shocking to me, but it is because I am looking at what happened 300 years ago through very different lenses. We can't change history and shouldn't put thoughts and actions that didn't exist, and ignoring what the settlers believed and how they acted, no matter how ignorant it might have been, is hardly fair. Whether I like it or not, it is part of the history of my people.

I think this book offers an opportunity for parents and educators to discuss different points of view, to look at history in all its ugliness as well as beauty, and to contrast such stories with points of view from other peoples involved, including of course those of Native Americans of various tribes. We cannot change what happened, and trying to walk in peoples' shoes, even if it's really uncomfortable, can be enlightening.

I personally enjoyed this book, and I can't fault Sarah for being afraid to walk through unknown woods and encounter people of a culture so tremendously different from her own, even if her views were, yes, condescending at times. But I know better and can read without necessarily agreeing with the views depicted. As parents and educators, it's our responsibility to know what we're giving our kids to read and to use these books to teach our children right from wrong (presuming we ALL know exactly what is right and what is wrong, especially when it comes to history). I'm not saying that all books are okay to read to our children--I won't be reading Mein Kampf to my daughter any time soon to explain to her the evils of Naziism--but I do think this book is a good stepping stone for some healthy discussions about the birth of the nation of the USA.

On a side note, this book was first published in 1954. People were still calling Native Americans "Indians," and I'm not going claim to know how much of history had been revised then, but I know much more has come to light since then. Another interesting point of discussion.