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Tuesday, January 17th, 2012

Tucson Schools Ban Books by Chicano and Native American Authors

Author:     BRENDA NORRELL
Source:     The Narcosphere
Publication Date:     January 14, 2012 at 11:53 pm
 Link: Tucson Schools Ban Books by Chicano and Native American Authors
Stephan:   The rise of racism in the Theocratic Right has received very little attention, even as it intrudes itself into the most fundamental aspects of our culture. I consider these attitudes to be another of the defining hallmarks of this movement. Here is the latest in the trend. This is not just happening in Arizona, as benighted as that state has become. I listened to the South Carolina Republican debate tonight and it would not have surprised me if both the speakers and the audience had been dressed in hoods and bed sheets. As someone who marched and got arrested in the Civil Rights movement of the 50s and 60s I thought we were mostly past the worst aspects of the racist South. But South Carolina showed me that at least with the White Theocratic Right it is alive and well to this day. It is time for those who want a compassionate life-affirming America to stand up and be counted. Thanks to Deborah Admiral.

TUCSON — Outrage was the response to the news that Tucson schools has banned books, including ‘Rethinking Columbus,’ with an essay by award-winning Pueblo author Leslie Marmon Silko, who lives in Tucson, and works by Buffy Sainte Marie, Winona LaDuke, Leonard Peltier and Rigoberta Menchu.

The decision to ban Chicano and Native American books follows the 4 to 1 vote on Tuesday by the Tucson Unified School District board to succumb to the State of Arizona, and forbid Mexican American Studies, rather than fight the state decision.

Students said the banned books were seized from their classrooms and out of their hands, after Tucson schools banned Mexican American Studies, including a book of photos of Mexico. Crying, students said it was like Nazi Germany, and they were unable to sleep since it happened.

The banned book, ‘Rethinking Columbus,’ includes work by many Native Americans, as Debbie Reese reports, the book includes:

Suzan Shown Harjo’s ‘We Have No Reason to Celebrate’
Buffy Sainte-Marie’s ‘My Country, ‘Tis of Thy People You’re Dying’
Joseph Bruchac’s ‘A Friend of the Indians’
Cornel Pewewardy’s ‘A Barbie-Doll Pocahontas’
N. Scott Momaday’s ‘The Delight Song of Tsoai-Talee’
Michael Dorris’s ‘Why I’m Not Thankful for Thanksgiving’
Leslie Marmon’s ‘Ceremony’
Wendy Rose’s ‘Three […]

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