Indigenous People Stereotype Analysis

There are many stereotypes that are used to label indigenous people in the media. These representations can be positive or negative but both have an adverse effect on the way that we see the Indigenous community. By accepting any stereotype we reduce an entire community down to an inanimate object, which clouds our vision when looking at an individual person (Forrest, 2015b). Most Aboriginal people do not fit the stereotype that has been offered (Rodriguez, 2004), By believing these stereotypes a person would get the wrong idea about a person far more often than they would get the right one. In order to be a fair educator the first thing that I will have to do is forget everything that I think I know about a group or community and go in with an open mind. By doing this I will be able to better understand the community and interact more freely with the people there.
An individual’s personal background carries a big influence on the way that they learn. Aboriginal students are disadvantaged in the current schooling system as it differs so much from what they
experience at home. The traditional learning styles present in schools is a very abstract style of learning and the Indigenous cultural style is far more focused on contextual learning to serve a purpose (Forrest, 2015b). In order to excel at traditional schooling Indigenous students are required to code switch between their school life and their home life (Kim, 2014). School is quite often the first experience indigenous children have with this style of thinking and as a result many struggle because they lack the ability to adapt quick enough and as a result get left behind (Rodriguez, 2004). It is important that I keep this in mind when educating these children, help them transition between home and school life and even create certain kinds of activities that are suited to their style of learning. Hopefully this will make school a more enjoyable environment for these students and they will be able to excel at their schoolwork.
One of the most damaging aspects of stereotypes for Aboriginal people is the effect that they have on children, they mold their mindset and effectively limit their potential.
Lynette Rodriguez recalls when she was a child she dropped out of school early because she believed that she was not clever enough to do anything academic with her life (Rodriguez, 2004). Identity is something that is created by people and effected by society. Currently some aspects of an individual’s perceived identity are corrupted due to negative stereotypes. Through strong leadership individuals can re-educate themselves to rebuild a stronger image of themselves (Oxenham et al., 1999). This is very important to remember when educating children because a negative self-image has a strong influence on academic enthusiasm. By building up a strong self-image an educator can make sure that children are able to reach their full
potential.