Thriving Indigenous Futures
Native American peoples have faced the oppressions of Western society for decades. Some may think Native cultures are diminishing, but there is hope for Indigenous futures as current society is changing along with Native peoples’ presence and role in it. Native peoples are taking back the narrative and sharing their culture. They are breaking down the longstanding ideals and norms of Western society. This progression will yield a thriving Indigenous future, articulated by the continuation of Native language and storytelling and the continued building of its people and decolonization of the mind.
The persistence of stories and the longstanding traditions of storytelling, especially in Native tongues further the prosper of Indigenous futures. Stories are not just descriptions of events but are carriers of teaching, of values, of morals. Some may think that storytelling is an outdated resource, but stories of the first peoples coming to the West Coast and the northern coasts of Alaska have been “kept for generation upon generation and remain testimony to the integrity of oral tradition” (Shapes of Native Nonfiction 25). Native peoples tell stories in a variety of manners: some should be taken more literally, and others should be analyzed beyond, searching for the deeper meaning. Ernestine Hayes describes in Shapes of Native Nonfiction how “Indigenous artists tell different stories and advance different values…those stories remain alive and carry their testimony into the millennia” (24). Storytelling allows Indigenous peoples to recount their histories and cultures and to continue to breathe life into their practices. Oral tradition has persevered into this day and remains an important part of society. Its medium is not only storytelling but can in fact be common constructs in the Western world, like movies and podcasts. The short film by Nanobah Becker is an example of a video that holds an important role in sharing a story. The film includes traditions of the Navajo tribe and depicts the power of those beliefs and practices. A healer gives Tazbah some of the Navajo’s ancient corn and through a ceremonial healing process, the astronauts are saved from starvation. In just fifteen minutes, the film preserves a little bit of Navajo language and culture, something that can be passed on to future generations. It is storytelling in its own way. This continuation of the passing of stories brings Indigenous peoples through the ages, ensuring their culture is vibrant and thriving in the future. Peter Cole summarizes the essence of storytelling while also conducting its power; he writes in open form, taking away the rules Western society has set on language and writing: “story telling is a way of experiencing the world // rather // than imposing/decontextualized denotative “truth” claims/story is about historicizing culture // enculturing history // contextualizing like poetry and drama // storytelling is itself interpretation” (Intense Dreaming 323). Storytelling is an irrepressible tool for Native peoples to tell their own narratives and to explain their own truths. Storytelling holds the past, carries in to the present, and informs the future.
Through the decolonization of the mind and the building up of its peoples, cultures, beliefs, and rituals, Indigenous cultures ascertain a thriving future. Decades of imposed beliefs left many Native Americans un-aligned with their community and culture, but through the slow process of breaking down Western norms and ideals, many Native Americans are reclaiming their history, heritage, and culture. “As indigenous peoples reestablish political and cultural jurisdiction over their historical territories, they are also engaging in a decolonization project of the mind, an unlayering of reproductions of Eurocentric hegemony (including the domination of its singular cosmology)” (Intense Dreaming 318). Through the resurgence of the Native American presence in society, from land ownership to political candidates, Indigenous societies find a boost as they tear away at hard-strung colonialism. Another aspect of society that is facing decolonization is literature. As Native American authors are emerging and declaring a reimaging in society, fronting works other than the expected “stories of nature,” the definitions set on Native peoples are being forced to change. Not only are stereotypes of Native writers being erased, but they are also challenging the norms of specific literature. In her article “Postcards from the Apocalypse,” Rebecca Roanhorse reconstructs science fiction, removing its individualistic nature and need to “tame” foreign lands. She describes how “Indigenous Futurism asks us to reject these colonial ideas and instead re-imagine space, both outer and inner, from another perspective” (Roanhorse). Decolonization of the mind must take place in every aspect of society. Through progressions like this, Indigenous cultures are building a new future. Another aspect of decolonization lies in creating an inclusive relationship between spirituality and science so that they may exist in harmonic unity in people and society. This relationship is expressed in the short film, The Sixth World. Becker integrates the science of space travel and molecular biology with the spiritual traditions of the Navajo peoples to show how respect for both ideologies can exist. She shows how Native cultures can subsist in cohesion with hard science and, in fact, can glean unique insights on the matter. This deconstructing of the wall between science and the spirituality of Indigenous cultures is yet another decolonization. The film also includes a scene where Astronaut Tazbah dreams the original crop of corn will fail due to a disease. The dream is a vision and plays out in reality. This signifies the actuality and significance of dreams and also demonstrates their importance in our everyday lives. They are not fantastical illustrations that only Native peoples have, but, in fact, can provide insight into humans’ mental and psychological states, which are influenced by the habitat around them, hence correlating to the physical world. Integrating these aspects into the short film creates a platform for thought and contemplation. It extinguishes barriers of science and spirituality and also strengthens the applicability of various Native cultural concepts. In this manner, decolonization occurs as imposed norms and stereotypes are retracted. From this decolonization and the celebration and building of Native peoples and their cultures, Indigenous futures ensure a thriving existence.
The continuation of storytelling and Native language and the furthering decolonization of the mind and Native peoples promise thriving Indigenous futures. Storytelling holds the power of uncontainable knowledge, history, and experience and only strengthens Native peoples and their cultures. Its presence in our society is just one example of an integral attribute of Native cultures and predicts such cultural success in the future. Through decolonizing of Western impositions and ideals, Native peoples are regaining their narratives and are redefining what it means to be a part of their communities. The unquestionable effort of Indigenous peoples to take back their stories and share their knowledge truly displays how their perseverance will lead to thriving futures.
Works Cited
Groenfeldt, D. “The Future of Indigenous Values: Cultural Relativism in the Face of Economic Development.” ScienceDirect, Elsevier B.V., 27 Mar. 2003, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0016328703000491.
Million, Dian. Intense Dreaming. University of Nebraska Press, 2011.
Roanhorse, Rebecca. “Postcards from the Apocalypse.” Uncanny - A Magazine of Science Fiction and Fantasy, Uncanny Magazine, 2018, https://uncannymagazine.com/article/postcards-from-the-apocalypse/.
Snag Films, SnagFilms, 2012, http://www.snagfilms.com/films/title/the_sixth_world.
Washuta, Elissa, and Theresa Warburton. Shapes of Native Nonfiction: Collected Essays by Contemporary Writers. University of Washington Press, 2019.
© Copyright Madrona Maling, 2019