A portrayal of American Indians in elementary and secondary United States history/social studies textbooks

The primary purpose of this research was the systematic study of the negative or positive portrayal of American Indians in social studies/history textbooks. The study was designed to benefit educators by giving them a more thorough understanding of American Indians and their portrayal in textbooks. This content analysis examined texts used at the elementary school, middle school, and high school levels. Texts from national companies that publish a series for all three levels were examined.;Two secondary purposes were (a) to reveal any changes in the portrayal of American Indians that have occurred in school textbooks over the past 15 years and (b) to determine what American Indian scholars, educators, and historians believe should be included in those texts regarding American Indians. Given the prominence placed upon the textbook as an instructional tool in the social studies classroom, this study includes a review of the political significance of textbook content.;American Indian researchers provided expertise in the textbook analysis by identifying both overt and subtle descriptions of American Indians. Both quantitative and qualitative methodologies were utilized. Scholar/historians validated the research-based criteria used to analyze the data, and American Indian teachers coded the textbook passages as either positive or negative, resulting in quantitative data. Qualitative data were obtained from comments provided by American Indian teachers as they shared their thoughts and reactions to both positive and negative entries.;The study found that inaccurate and biased references to American Indians continue to exist. While recognizing some improvement in textbooks over the last 10-15 years, particularly in overt stereotyping, subtle negative descriptions remain.;Recommendations are provided for positive inclusions in textbook content, based on American Indian suggestions, that relate to the history and culture of American Indians. The findings indicate that much more needs to be done in providing an unbiased and more balanced portrayal of American Indians in school social studies/history textbooks.