Colonial Impact on Cultural Disconnection: Literary Interpretations of Loss Of indigenous Cultures from Loss of Ancestral Lands

Abstract

This thesis focuses on the loss of culture and heritage arising from the loss of ancestral lands as a result of racist environmental policies. The research is comprised of analysis of three literary works, Tracks by Louise Erdrich, Bless Me Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya, and Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward. Although fiction accounts, these works represent authorial experiences and observations of how racism and colonialism have led to policies that have displaced indigenous nations and eroded their cultural identity as well as heritage. The research will show how the characters in these novels struggle and adapt to the loss of land connections and offer possibilities for paths forward in indigenous communities. As each character struggles with identity, belonging, and questions of how to maintain and preserve heritage, common themes of cultural and spiritual dislocation are revealed. The thesis argues for the function of physical land and nature elements as repositories for community identity, spirituality, and heritage. Moreover, the research will confirm the historical and continuing common struggle of the characters regardless of time, tribe, or location. These fiction accounts serve as a mirror and magnifying glass for indigenous and marginalized communities in real-life situations. Through studying and understanding the impact of ongoing land dispossession on indigenous cultures and marginalized communities, the thesis will contribute to the ongoing conversation study will contribute to the ongoing conversation on possibilities for preservation of indigenous cultures and overcoming systemic challenges.