tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29769707.post861659133570931496..comments2024-02-10T18:19:36.406-08:00Comments on Newspaper Rock: Indians in Top 100 Children's NovelsRobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01478763837213733775noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29769707.post-30826781210201609322010-04-23T13:30:01.301-07:002010-04-23T13:30:01.301-07:00Since there are no Indians in the Oz books, I don&...Since there are no Indians in the Oz books, I don't think readers have to know about Baum's editorials. He didn't let his anti-Indian feelings, which may have been fleeting, hurt his work.<br /><br />Similarly, <a href="http://www.bluecorncomics.com/twain.htm" rel="nofollow">Mark Twain</a>, Will Shakespeare, and the people who wrote the Bible had racist and sexist views, but nobody is avoiding their work. In most cases, I think we can separate the writers from their writing.<br /><br />On the other hand, it doesn't hurt to understand the writer and the milieu he was writing in. In Baum's time, America was transitioning from an agricultural to an industrial economy and dealing with an influx of European immigrants. No doubt these things did influence the Oz books.<br /><br />Here's how I summarized some of the books' "hidden" messages:<br /><br />http://www.bluecorncomics.com/baum2.htm<br /><br />The land of Oz has four kingdoms that are racially identical and pure, where people seldom mingle with "foreigners" from other kingdoms. It's idealized in the sense that white Anglo-Saxon Ozians and a few magical animals and individuals get along well. There are no significant minorities in the Oz books, so the "ideal" is how white subcultures (read British, German, Scandinavian, Italian, et al.) can live in peace.<br /><br />Oz reflects the taint of Old World authoritarianism. At the beginning of the series, the land was ruled by five monarchs: the four witches and the dictatorial Wizard. At the end, Ozma and the Tin Woodman have replaced the Wizard and the Wicked Witch of the West, but no one has stood for a democratic election. Oz reflects the conservative American belief that the power elite, not the people, know best.Robhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01478763837213733775noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29769707.post-31143254462971111252010-04-23T13:04:09.731-07:002010-04-23T13:04:09.731-07:00I linked to my Baum page in the blog posting. Her...I linked to my Baum page in the blog posting. Here it is again:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bluecorncomics.com/baum.htm" rel="nofollow">The Indian-Oz Connection</a><br /><br />Baum apologists say the editorials are isolated examples, he was under public pressure, he didn't mean them, etc. On my Baum page, I discuss other examples of his attitudes toward Indians and other minorities.<br /><br />As for the Baum apology, here's some info about it:<br /><br />http://ozandends.blogspot.com/2006/08/baum-descendants-apology-in-south.html<br /><br />L. Frank Baum's great-granddaughter Gita Dorothy Morena (also author of The Wisdom of Oz: Reflections of a Jungian Sandplay Psychotherapist) and great-great-grandson Mac Hudson have expressed plans to apologize for their ancestor's genocidal remarks of 1890-91, according to Tim Gebhart's Progressive on the Prairie blog, National Public Radio, and the Syracuse Post-Standard.<br /><br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L._Frank_Baum#Editorials_about_Native_Americans<br /><br />In 2006, two descendants of Baum apologized to the Sioux nation for any hurt their ancestor had caused.Robhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01478763837213733775noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29769707.post-72288527796564045352010-04-23T07:33:04.842-07:002010-04-23T07:33:04.842-07:00is this another piece of American culture that sha...<i>is this another piece of American culture that shapes the youths ideas about natives </i><br /><br />I admit, it's been a bit of time since I've read it, but last time I checked, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz didn't have much to do with Indians at all.Lucillehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03225011724349777456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29769707.post-46311836510301409652010-04-20T17:54:52.216-07:002010-04-20T17:54:52.216-07:00Apache: Rob has extensive material in his site tha...Apache: Rob has extensive material in his site that is sharply critical of Baum's views toward Indians. A link to it is probably forthcoming.<br /><br />"I take into consideration that two of his decedents did apologize to the Sioux for the two racist editorials Baum published"<br /><br />Oh? I'd like to read about this. I know one or two of Baum's descendants.dmarkshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07269773990064736457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29769707.post-11557623346052753002010-04-20T08:46:56.660-07:002010-04-20T08:46:56.660-07:00CORECTION:
The year Baum published his writings i...CORECTION:<br /><br />The year Baum published his writings is obviously a mistype!<br /><br />It was 1890.Apache Mannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29769707.post-72652363973330778842010-04-20T08:42:27.463-07:002010-04-20T08:42:27.463-07:00The Wizard's TRUE CAUSE
It is interesting you...The Wizard's TRUE CAUSE<br /><br />It is interesting you should choose L. Frank Baum as your number one book considering his political leanings and writings during his time. <br /><br />Although the Wizard of Oz is a great fantasy and I grew up watching the movie, Baum’s populist beliefs about “eliminating” the Indian race as an answer to the “Indian problem” haunts me to consider any credible insights to his writings at all. <br /><br />My question to you is this, am I the only one that feels this way and should we judge Baum by his core beliefs about genocide by giving him sole credit and representation for his writing of a children’s book regardless of his feelings about Native Americans and is this another piece of American culture that shapes the youths ideas about natives whether they agree or disagree with Baum’s beliefs? <br /><br />I take into consideration that two of his decedents did apologize to the Sioux for the two racist editorials Baum published, but keep in mind; this was the popular feeling from whites after Custer’s defeat.<br /><br />“The Whites, by law of conquest, by justice of civilization, are masters of the American continent, and the best safety of the frontier settlements will be secured by the total annihilation of the few remaining Indians.”<br /><br />L. Frank Baum, <br />Aberdeen Saturday Pioneer<br />December 20th, 1980 (5 days after the death of Sitting Bull)Apache Mannoreply@blogger.com