Lesson 1: Re-examining Land of Lakes Butter: How Stereotypes About Native Americans Harm Us All

This lesson is intended for upper high-school students and will take about 50 minutes to teach. The lesson introduces the concept of how and why Native Feminism was “hidden.” With the coupling effects of racism and settler colonialism, white, Western institutions of power prioritize non-Native frameworks of knowledge. In order to maintain their power, they treat Eurocentric perspectives as “correct” and treat knowledge of Native People groups as inferior. Ironically, the non-Native approach to gender has left women struggling for equality while several groups of Native People inherently experience gender equality in their societal structures.

This lesson will examine stereotypes in imagery as a means by which non-Native society devalues Native People and their knowledge. By stereotyping Native People, non-Native groups in the West overlook, demean and “hide” the knowledge of Native People, including their Native Feminism and notions of gender equality. Through analysis of images and small-group discussion, stereotypes about Native People in images will be identified and debunked. Finally, students will be led through a large group discussion linking the themes of the class and explaining how stereotypes devalue people and their knowledge. This lays the groundwork for lesson two, which examines Native knowledge about gender and gender equality that non-Native societies overlook.