Seminar paper from the year 2009 in the subject American Studies - Literature, grade: 1,0, Humboldt-University of Berlin (Department of English and American Studies), course: Native American Literature, language: English, abstract: INTRODUCTION Karen Louise Erdrich, born in Minnesota in 1954 as the eldest of seven children, was raised Catholic in Wahpeton, North Dakota, where her parents taught at the Wahpeton Indian Boarding School. Her fiction reflects facets of her mixed heritage: she is German-American by her father, as well as French and Ojibwa (also known as Chippewa or Anishinaabe) by her mother. Louise Erdrich left North Dakota in 1972 and entered Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, where she met Michael Dorris, a mixed-blood Modoc Indian writer who founded the Native American Studies department at the college. Collaboratively, they published "Route Two" (1990) and "The Crown of Columbus" (1991). Erdrich and Dorris married in 1981, but were in the midst of divorce proceedings when he committed suicide in 1997. "I knew that Michael was suicidal from the second year of our marriage," Erdrich said in an interview. The award-winning writer is considered to be one of the most significant Native American novelists from the "second wave" of what is called the Native American Renaissance (see chapter 1.2). She is an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe. "No one knew yet how many were lost, people kept no track." (Tracks, p. 15) "Tracks" (1988) Erdrich's novel Tracks, which is to be explored in the present argument, is the third part of an initially planned tetralogy, including "Love Medicine" (1984), "The Beet Queen" (1986), and "The Bingo Palace" (1994). Louise Erdrich created a novel cycle, exploring the lives of various generations of Chippewa family who live on a fictional reservation in North Dakota in the twentieth century, a time when Indian tribes were struggling to retain their remaining land. Chronologically speaking, it is the family's

Seminar paper from the year 2009 in the subject American Studies - Literature, grade: 1,0, Humboldt-University of Berlin (Department of English and American Studies), course: Native American Literature, language: English, abstract: INTRODUCTION Karen Louise Erdrich, born in Minnesota in 1954 as the eldest of seven children, was raised Catholic in Wahpeton, North Dakota, where her parents taught at the Wahpeton Indian Boarding School. Her fiction reflects facets of her mixed heritage: she is German-American by her father, as well as French and Ojibwa (also known as Chippewa or Anishinaabe) by her mother. Louise Erdrich left North Dakota in 1972 and entered Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, where she met Michael Dorris, a mixed-blood Modoc Indian writer who founded the Native American Studies department at the college. Collaboratively, they published "Route Two" (1990) and "The Crown of Columbus" (1991). Erdrich and Dorris married in 1981, but were in the midst of divorce proceedings when he committed suicide in 1997. ”I knew that Michael was suicidal from the second year of our marriage,” Erdrich said in an interview. The award-winning writer is considered to be one of the most significant Native American novelists from the “second wave” of what is called the Native American Renaissance (see chapter 1.2). She is an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe. “No one knew yet how many were lost, people kept no track.” (Tracks, p. 15) "Tracks" (1988) Erdrich’s novel Tracks, which is to be explored in the present argument, is the third part of an initially planned tetralogy, including "Love Medicine" (1984), "The Beet Queen" (1986), and "The Bingo Palace" (1994). Louise Erdrich created a novel cycle, exploring the lives of various generations of Chippewa family who live on a fictional reservation in North Dakota in the twentieth century, a time when Indian tribes were struggling to retain their remaining land. Chronologically speaking, it is the family’s earliest period—from 1912 to 1924—that is related in Tracks. In most of her works, Erdrich uses several characters to narrate alternating chapters, presenting a story that unfolds from multiple perspectives. "Tracks" is told retrospectively by two homodiegetic narrators: Pauline Puyat, a mixed-blood who denies her Indian “half” in order to be accepted into the convent and changes her name to Sister Leopolda, and Nanapush, an older Native American who tells his story to a named addressee, his granddaughter Lulu: “You were born on the day we shot the last bear, drunk, on the reservation.” ("Tracks", p. 58) "Tracks" is constructed as mutually referential focalization, ...

In this volume some of the leading scholars working in Native North America explore contemporary perspectives on Native culture, history, and representation. Written in honor of the anthropologist Raymond D. Fogelson, the volume charts the currents of contemporary scholarship while offering an invigorating challenge to researchers in the field. The essays employ a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches and range widely across time and space. The introduction and first section consider the origins and legacies of various strands of interpretation, while the second part examines the relationship among culture, power, and creativity. The third part focuses on the cultural construction and experience of history, and the volume closes with essays on identity, difference, and appropriation in several historical and cultural contexts. Aimed at a broad interdisciplinary audience, the volume offers an excellent overview of contemporary perspectives on Native peoples.

Each title in the highly acclaimed Opposing Viewpoints series explores a specific issue by placing expert opinions in a unique pro/con format; the viewpoints are selected from a wide range of highly respected and often hard-to-find publications.; The title explores issues related to Native Americans, including key conflicts that still exist between the United States and tribal governments. Topics covered include the impact of discrimination on Native American culture, the current economic factors; "Each volume in the Opposing Viewpoints Series could serve as a model not only providing access to a wide diversity of opinions, but also stimulating readers to do further research for group discussion and individual interest. Both shrill and moderate, th"

This book offers a unique exploration of the work of Paul Bowles and Ibrahim Alkoni, and reveals timely insights into the relationship between the West and the Orient, showing that they both challenge and extend existing scholarship on this subject. It builds on a sound theoretical platform which serves as a solid foundation for the analysis of the overarching theme. Theories of place, representation, Orientalism and post-colonialism are discussed in depth and are linked to the deconstruction and analysis of the selected literary texts, helping the reader understand the various quests and motivations of the protagonists of the works of Bowles and Alkoni. The first part of the book looks into the work of Bowles, and is based on the fact that many of the author’s texts revolve around the theme of encounters between Western and Eastern cultures. It adopts a specific focus on the North African space, which is depicted from a number of different points of view, including native, French, English and American perspectives. The second section discusses the work of the Libyan author Ibrahim Alkoni as a quester for a Mythical Identity. It introduces the reader to the significance of the desert in both classical and modern Arabic literature and its place in the Arabic cultural imaginary. This work is highly original both in its approach and subject matter, and, as such, it constitutes a valuable contribution to the study of comparative literature, Arabic literature, and postcolonial magical realist literature. It offers many original insights into this little studied field, demonstrating a successful venture into less-trodden terrain.

This guide to Native American history and culture outlines new ways of understanding American Indian cultures in contemporary contexts. The book covers the key issues of: The intimate relationship of culture to land. The nature of cultural contact and conflict in the period after European contact. The unique relationship that Native communities have with the United States government. The significance of language. The vitality of contemporary cultures and the variety of artistic styles, from literature and poetry to painting and sculpture to performance arts. This thematic approach places history, culture and intellectual production in the contexts of politics and power. Using specific examples throughout, the culture of Native Americans is seen from the point of views of Native people as well as from the points of view of Europe and the United States. Key Features New approach to the subject. Argument shaped by interaction with Native scholars and members of Native communities. Draws on work of historians, anthropologists, ethnographers, literary critics and art historians. Literature survey with assessment of sources and detailed bibliography. Includes 18 colour plates.

Discussing contemporary perspectives and new developments in the field of English language studies has gained ascendancy in view of the fact that such concerns about learning and teaching English make important contributions to society. Such discussions are of critical importance in today’s globalised societies and more needs to be done towards collaboratively presenting the growing wealth of quality research in linguistics and literature. Linguists and scholars continue to champion the need to interrogate the discourse of literary and language texts using a number of critical frameworks that help sensitise readers to the ideological nature of literary discourse and the ways in which certain dominant ideas of nation, race, ethnicity and gender are ratified or challenged. Readers need to be constantly challenged to think, interpret and evaluate differing views and perspectives. The collection of chapters in this book explores contemporary issues and perspectives in linguistics and literature among educators and researchers whose primary focus is to examine the manner in which English is used for various educational purposes from traditional curriculum demands to answering broader questions about human knowledge, global citizenship and social engagement.