Teachers have a unique opportunity to influence education by the materials they select to use in their classrooms. However, many lack the research or life experience that is useful to teach about a living culture that is different from their own in an accurate, respectful manner. This article presents four categories to consider when selecting materials about American Indians. Many of the ideas presented could be applied to the study of any ethnic group or culture. Furthermore, the author suggest that teachers keep these four main ideas in mind when selecting materials for their lessons. Teachers should investigate the author's background, artwork, language, and perspective of the materials. (Contains 7 notes.)