I made this image because I really love the Little House books and still do, but there is no denying that there is racist content these books. I made Laura and the Indian Baby because there’s one chapter in the book in which Laura and her family are witnessing the Trail of Tears. I found it incredibly poignant. And the family is watching a trail of ponies and families migrate and the Ingalls girls are delighted by the ponies…but then Laura spots one Indian baby in a basket on the type of native baby boards on the side of a Native woman’s pony. Laura starts insisting to her family that she wants that baby and actually throws a fit and cries! I didn’t understand the significance of this moment but later I thought, maybe Laura on some level knew these people were being driven out to suffer and possibly die and her one way to deal with it was to try to save one baby with “big black bright eyes” something very doll like to her. In my image Laura is sort of grotesque and self satisfied (Pioneer Becky! ) and the baby is dismayed.

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