Native American Voices: Decolonial Perspectives on Selected Texts of Alexie and Momaday
This paper explores the Native American voices through a decolonial reading of a range of selected texts of Sherman Alexie and Navarre S. Momaday. The aim is to understand indigenous culture as a prototype for retrieving the lost identity of American Indians. The decolonization of mind is realized t...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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National University of Modern Languages (NUML), Islamabad
2024-12-01
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| Series: | NUML Journal of Critical Inquiry |
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| Online Access: | https://jci.numl.edu.pk/index.php/jci/article/view/284 |
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| author | Dr. Sadia Akram Dr. Sadia Nazir Saira Akhter |
| author_facet | Dr. Sadia Akram Dr. Sadia Nazir Saira Akhter |
| author_sort | Dr. Sadia Akram |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper explores the Native American voices through a decolonial reading of a range of selected texts of Sherman Alexie and Navarre S. Momaday. The aim is to understand indigenous culture as a prototype for retrieving the lost identity of American Indians. The decolonization of mind is realized through cultural resistance and counter-discourse that articulates the liminal experiences of the marginalized and the ostracized. Therefore, the literary representation of peripheral voices not only defies the dominant voice but also creates new avenues for cross-cultural communication with the mainstream discourse. This study employs the dialogic approach of Greg Sarris and Louis Owens as theoretical support for analysing the selected texts. The slippery frontier position of American Indians is not separatist but conversational that subverts stereotypes and, simultaneously, acknowledges difference. This essay principally explores how cross-reading Native American subversive texts can serve as a tool for cross-cultural communication. The indigenous writers with their lost identity (due to their living on reservations) write passionately about their past, traditions, and customs to make their voice heard in the mainstream discourse for their survival. This paper, therefore, proposes that the gap between Natives and Euro-Americans may be bridged through literary resistance for reconciliation instead of creating antagonism between them.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-63f657c42ded4dddaf8c115d39fa013e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2789-4665 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | National University of Modern Languages (NUML), Islamabad |
| record_format | Article |
| series | NUML Journal of Critical Inquiry |
| spelling | doaj-art-63f657c42ded4dddaf8c115d39fa013e2025-01-22T15:36:25ZengNational University of Modern Languages (NUML), IslamabadNUML Journal of Critical Inquiry2789-46652024-12-0122II10.52015/numljci.v22iII.284Native American Voices: Decolonial Perspectives on Selected Texts of Alexie and MomadayDr. Sadia Akram0Dr. Sadia Nazir1Saira Akhter2Assistant Professor (OPS) in the Department of English, Govt. College University FaisalabadLecturer (English) at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (Burewala campus)Assistant Professor of English at Government College Women University FaisalabadThis paper explores the Native American voices through a decolonial reading of a range of selected texts of Sherman Alexie and Navarre S. Momaday. The aim is to understand indigenous culture as a prototype for retrieving the lost identity of American Indians. The decolonization of mind is realized through cultural resistance and counter-discourse that articulates the liminal experiences of the marginalized and the ostracized. Therefore, the literary representation of peripheral voices not only defies the dominant voice but also creates new avenues for cross-cultural communication with the mainstream discourse. This study employs the dialogic approach of Greg Sarris and Louis Owens as theoretical support for analysing the selected texts. The slippery frontier position of American Indians is not separatist but conversational that subverts stereotypes and, simultaneously, acknowledges difference. This essay principally explores how cross-reading Native American subversive texts can serve as a tool for cross-cultural communication. The indigenous writers with their lost identity (due to their living on reservations) write passionately about their past, traditions, and customs to make their voice heard in the mainstream discourse for their survival. This paper, therefore, proposes that the gap between Natives and Euro-Americans may be bridged through literary resistance for reconciliation instead of creating antagonism between them. https://jci.numl.edu.pk/index.php/jci/article/view/284Post-colonial, subversive text, counter discourse, dialogic, identity. |
| spellingShingle | Dr. Sadia Akram Dr. Sadia Nazir Saira Akhter Native American Voices: Decolonial Perspectives on Selected Texts of Alexie and Momaday NUML Journal of Critical Inquiry Post-colonial, subversive text, counter discourse, dialogic, identity. |
| title | Native American Voices: Decolonial Perspectives on Selected Texts of Alexie and Momaday |
| title_full | Native American Voices: Decolonial Perspectives on Selected Texts of Alexie and Momaday |
| title_fullStr | Native American Voices: Decolonial Perspectives on Selected Texts of Alexie and Momaday |
| title_full_unstemmed | Native American Voices: Decolonial Perspectives on Selected Texts of Alexie and Momaday |
| title_short | Native American Voices: Decolonial Perspectives on Selected Texts of Alexie and Momaday |
| title_sort | native american voices decolonial perspectives on selected texts of alexie and momaday |
| topic | Post-colonial, subversive text, counter discourse, dialogic, identity. |
| url | https://jci.numl.edu.pk/index.php/jci/article/view/284 |
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