American Girl is turning 40 this year (same, honestly), and with that milestone comes some reckoning with their original books. A few years ago, they quietly released revised editions of some classics, including “Kirsten Learns a Lesson”—the book where Swedish immigrant Kirsten befriends an Indigenous girl named Singing Bird, they somehow communicate without language, and then Singing Bird’s family just…leaves Minnesota voluntarily at the end. For my first episode of Landline, I call up Colette Denalie Dion Montoya, an indigenous researcher and librarian, to help me understand what American Girl changed in the new edition and whether swapping out words like “savage” actually addresses the deeply colonial narrative at the heart of this story. We talk about representation, nostalgia versus history, the insidious ways racism gets re-coded, and why Pleasant Rowland collaborating with Barbie feels like a betrayal.
Timestamps
00:00 — Why American Girl Made Millennials Like This
Main character energy, history-as-personality, and the doll books that rewired our brains.
07:00 — “American Girl Is in Its Hot Mess Era”
Mattel, quiet revisions, and why the 40th anniversary feels… tense.
12:00 — The Plot of Kirsten Learns a Lesson (Red Flags Included)
Secret forest meetings, “Indian friends,” and who gets to claim land as “home.”
23:30 — What American Girl Changed (and What They Didn’t)
From “savages” to “treaties”: how blame quietly moves off settlers and onto “the government.”
38:00 — Nostalgia vs. History: Why revisions, Barbie collabs, and 90s dolls reveal what the brand values now.
Further Reading/Viewing:
- Cooperative Children’s Book Center, School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Diversity Statistics and Graphics: https://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/literature-resources/ccbc-diversity-statistics/
- LibGuides: Native American Literature: Children’s Books (from Ohio Northern University): https://library.onu.edu/c.php?g=1279965&p=9394796
- “Manifest Destiny” in The American Yawp (a collaborative textbook on American history)
- “Running Zach” episode of Saved by the Bell, which its star discussed (and apologized for) on a later rewatch podcast, Zack to the Future.
- Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can’t Quit American Girl (full disclosure: I co-wrote this unhinged history of a brand that has meant a lot to me!)
Want even more resources, deep dives, and behind-the-scenes context on this episode’s topics? Patreon members get access to my exclusive newsletter with extended research, additional links, and insights that didn’t make it into the show. You can get the weekly newsletter when you join for free. Paid members get a monthly bonus episode, access to my AIM Buddly List chat, and more!
Read the full episode transcript here: (link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GY9vpEsF4CPdkcppujqW5gXKLY_u4xl7mfguine7DxY/edit?usp=sharing )
Connect with Mary:
- Website: www.marymmahoney.com
- Instagram: @mimimahoney
- Email: MaryMargaret.Mahoney@gmail.com
Connect with Colette:
Instagram: @colettka_cutletka
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