Story and Stereotype: Aboriginal Literature as Anti-racist Education

Literature textbooks used in secondary schools in Alberta reflect the belief that not only does literature have the power to change and shape our thinking, but also that the non-White voices of the culture need to be heard if Canada is to become a country which truly welcomes and values cultural diversity. The realization that many high school students in the Crowsnest Pass area of Southern Alberta held negative stereotypes about Canadian Aboriginal people prompted this study which measured how effective studying literature written by Aboriginal writers was in reducing prejudice. Within each grade, individual students showed significant attitude changes. In all grades, female students had significantly lower scores than males, both pre - and post-test, evidence that there are perhaps different stages of moral development in females than males. Qualitative data revealed an increased understanding of Aboriginal issues and student attempts to view the world from a non-White perspective. This study documents successful and unsuccessful methods of combating racismin the classroom and will be valuable to teachers and all those planning to work with children.