Early Adolescent Cherokees’ Reports of Stereotypes About Native Americans

Given the paucity of research on ethnic-racial stereotypes from the child’s perspective, we explored the content of Cherokee adolescents’ perceptions of stereotypes about Native Americans, as well as grade-level and school-type differences in the frequency of stereotype reports. The sample comprised 212 Cherokee adolescents ( M age = 12.7 years; Grades 6–8) enrolled in a tribal middle school or one of two public middle schools. Adolescents were asked to list stereotypes they knew existed about Native Americans. Content analysis of stereotypes revealed 19 prevalent themes, with the three most common being practice of rituals and traditions, financial privilege because of tribal payments, and substance use. Eighth graders reported more stereotypes than sixth or seventh graders. Public school students reported more stereotypes than adolescents in the tribal middle school. Results provided nuanced information about Native youths’ stereotype awareness and highlight the importance of contextual factors such as school type and specific tribal practices.