This Is Progress?: Surveying a Century of Native American Stories about Hair

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For many reasons, the hair of Native Americans, especially the hair of Native American women and girls, holds significant meaning for persons on both sides of the cultural divide. Originally, stories told by Native people about hair were stories of spirituality, power, and awe. With the advent of the Indian boarding school system, Native stories about hair became rooted in tragedy and personal loss. Contemporary stories tend to trade away the truth of history for culturally inaccurate representations of Native hair. The canon of children’s literature must include stories told by individuals about their own personal and cultural identities.