Arizona's history book claims O'odham people disappeared

Wednesday, January 25, 2012  

A teacher in Tucson, Arizona, who is objecting the removal of "ethnic studies" books from the classroom, said the state's official history book implies the O'odham people disappeared.

Norma Gonzalez said a chapter in the book refers to "the mysterious disappearance of the O'odam people" even though they remain on the Tohono O'odham Nation, the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and the Gila River Indian Community. Two of her students at the time were O'odham, she said.

"That’s the perspective of the [Tucson school] district, which is not accurate," Gonzalez told CNN. "To have to read that to my students was abominable."

Gonzalez started a petition to bring back books that were removed from Mexican-American studies classrooms.

Get the Story:
March, petition urge Tucson school officials to bring back Mexican-American studies books (CNN 1/24)

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