The Indian in the Cupboard

This film made in 1995 directed by Frank Oz and Melissa Mathison was originally a 1980 published book written by British author Lynne Reid Banks and illustrated by Brock Cole.  The book has received numerous awards and  four sequels were written from the original story.

The recommended reading level for the book(s) is nine and up.  The film released by Columbia Pictures has a PG rating for "Mild Language and Brief Video Images of Violence and Sexy Dancing.

A movie trailer can be seen on this link
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3029205273/ 

The story is about a boy by the name of Omri.  On his 9th birthday he is given an old cupboard.  When his mother offers him a key from her collection that she received from her grandmother, the cupboard is given magical properties.  Plastic toy figurines put into the cupboard  come to life.


 This is a "coming of age" story where Omri is taught by a 19th Century Iroquois warrior by the name of Little Bear important lessons of the responsibility required when leaving childhood to become a man.


Children use their imagination to “bring to life” their toys during play.  I should think that most people can revive the memory of a favorite childhood toy that has provided the “no less than real” comfort and support.  This movie offers us a glimpse of the wonder and responsibility of that magic.

As the story unfolds one can relate to the fun and possibilities available as well as the depth of consequences encountered.  Omni must face and learn to live with the mistakes he has made with the power of the magic cupboard. He comes to feel the weight of responsibility with the guardianship of Little Bear, the Iroquois Indian that has come to life  

 

“It is just like having a child every time I leave him I worry about him”.


The Indian "Little Bear" tells Omri he is from the year 1761.  He has learned English because they are using the Indians to fight the French.  When a  T.P. is offered to Little Bear for lodging he is unfamiliar with the structure.
 Little Bear tells Omri "he sleeps in the mothers house, a long house made of wood"

 

10 Native Americans Everyone Should Know

http://www.manataka.org/page136.html 

This link will offer tips for teaching about American Indians
http://humaneeducation.org/sections/view/november09 

Several free web sites can be found with activities to do in conjunction with the reading of the book to encourage discussion about the historical errors and discrepancies portrayed about Native Americans.  These activities are geared toward the middle and upper elementary grades so that they do not confuse fact with fiction before reading the book. The links to these sites are:

http://childrens-books.lovetoknow.com/free-indian-cupboard-activities

http://www.catawba.k12.nc.us/pages/techtrac/techtrac9/harriet/acmyweb.htm 

The story introduces the cowboy character by the name of Boone.  He confesses that his peers call him boo hoo  Boone because he is prone to crying due to his "soft heart".  He is from Texas in the year 1879 which he states is "the dawn of a new century with the railroads coming in".  When Boone catches sight of Little Bear he refers to him as "injun" and "redskin" and tells Omri that he better watch out "that savage doesn't skin you in your sleep".  All very derogatory names and attitude.  When the t.v. is turned on to a show in which the cowboys are shooting and killing the Indians, Boone gets excited; draws and fires his pistol in the air.  Little Bear draws his bow and shoots his arrow in defense hitting and wounding Boone.   

This scene reinforces the attitude that the cowboy is victim to the confusion and impulsiveness of the Indian.  

 

This site addresses the teacher / librarian to promote critical thinking by using "information literacy" to separate multicultural fact from fiction:

http://www.davidvl.org/250coursespr04/b71.pdf

Patrick, Omri's friend whose ethnicity is not clearly known, wants the cowboy brought to school the next day.  When Little Bear hears the cowboy will be going to the learning place he states "white man goes to school - I can go to school".  The use of language by both characters reinforces the "western movie"stereotypes.  

 

In the article "A Demand for Excellence in Books for Children"  by Jan LaBonty 

"Oftentimes, American Indian culture is portrayed as inferior to the white culture, valueless, quaint, and superficial. When the aforementioned criterias for literary and artistic excellence and the criteria for excellence in multicultural literature are applied to TheIndian in the Cupboard trilogy, the books do not meet them. So it is regrettable that the negative, inaccurate depiction of the Iroquoian character stimulates serious questions about the use of the book either as required reading or as a read aloud book for young children."

http://jaie.asu.edu/v34/V34S2dem.htm

 

This site "Students and Teachers against Racism" offers many links for educational material to teach against racism of the Native American culture. 

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/StudentsAndTeachersAgainstRacism/links 

The stories imaginary theme is whimsical and carries a message of responsibility for ones actions, however, the stereotypical use of the characters reinforces the all too prevalent misrepresentation of the history of the American Indian.  We are only starting to provide "authentic" information for the school children.  Other books can be found and enjoyed without having to either "set the stage" or "backtrack" to explain the problem with the stories inaccuracies.  This style of storytelling should be left for the older children who would not have to be "reprogrammed". 


The University of Saskatchewan offers a list of Challenged books Education and Music Library Guide to resources that have been subject to censorship challenges in public school or academic libraries in Northern America.
 http://library.usask.ca/education/files/Guides/ftr.pdf

Photos collected from http://www.screenrush.co.uk/films/film-39926/photos/detail/?cmediafile=19638750