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Controversy Surrounds Book Read in Helena High Schools

"The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian"

By Kacey Drescher

Story Created: Dec 3, 2010 at 7:20 PM MDT

Story Updated: Jan 18, 2011 at 3:37 PM MDT

Last night, more than 100 people attended a public hearing surrounding the controversy of a book being read in Helena area high school English classes. Although those who oppose the novel were in the minority, they made it clear they do not want their children reading it at Thursday night’s Helena School District’s Board of Trustees Meeting.

“It’s an honest book, and in its honesty it is somewhat raw and slightly profane at times,” says Lewis and Clark County Teen Services Librarian, Padraic McCracken.

“The Absolutely True Diary of Part-Time Indian” is written from a teenage boy’s perspective, growing up on a Spokane Indian Reservation and striving for a better life. The lead character leaves his reservation to attend an all-white school and some Helena parents feel it is too inappropriate to be required reading for their high-school students.

“If you spend time, you know, with high-school age students there isn’t anything in this book that doesn’t occur within their peer groups,” says Helena School District Superintendent Dr. Bruce Messinger.

Four parents testified to the School Board in support of removing it from classrooms. Messinger adds, “granted it’s in the curriculum so it does take some pretty compelling reasons as to move something out and so we don’t have a history of taking books off an approved list but we’ll certainly go through the process.”

Now despite the novel being a National Book Award Winner and a New York Times Bestseller, some parents are offended by the fifth-grade reading level’s language and subject matters surrounding sexual arousal and drug abuse. “Personal feelings, that you usually, typically don’t express when you’re talking to people, in a book they write those things down and it are just an uncomfortable feeling as you read through that,” says Trevor Wilkerson, whose wife Mikal testified in support of removing the book from Helena classrooms. Trevor is not only an upset parent but a member of the Helena School District Board of Trustees.

Last night, 33 people opposed removing the book from local curriculum's. “Disappointed doesn’t capture the depth of my heartbreak I would feel if this book were to be restricted,” says McCracken.

And now a review committee made up of parents and school officials have 30 days to deliberate Sherman Alexie’s novel. A decision will be made by January 25th and if the committee finds that the book should indeed stay in curriculum's, Michele Smith, who filed the complaint initially, will have the option to appeal. The Helena School District Board of Trustees will make a final decision, hopefully at their February meeting.

“The problem is that the parents are starting to realize that they don’t necessarily trust what’s going on in the schools anymore and people have this opinion about what’s appropriate, what’s not appropriate. I don’t feel it’s appropriate and they definitely need to let me know before they start introducing that kind of content to my child,” says Wilkerson.

Messinger does want to remind parents, that there is an opt-out policy. If parents are uncomfortable with any aspect of teachings they have the option to have their children not participate.

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Anonymous said on Friday, Dec 3 at 11:12 PM

I am a freshmen, and I have personally read the book. I do not think that this book is too inappropriate and should be restricted. It is absolutely, on of thee best book I've ever read.

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